Redefining the Civil Police Relationship: An Overview of Managing Bilateral Trust and Confidence

 Satya Narayan Sardar

Introduction

The national dailies focused on a news regarding a dual clasp between students and police on 13^th of Falgun at Chabahil on the issue of two students hit by a water tanker on the same spot two days back. The police tried to have control over the students who were trying to create chaos and terrify the commoners. As the police tried to have control over the situation, they had to use a simple force and that was blamed to have misused the authority. The students raised slogans even at Gantaghar against police.

Whoever was wrong, eventually the police came to be the target of the students because they tried to neutralize the issue. The Metropolitan police tried to have control over the chaos raised on the case and that created a fight between the students and the police. Was the clasp for revenge? Or catharsis or challenge to the authority? Obviously, to control the chaos and normalize the situation, police are moved. It doesn't mean that they want to present the tyrannical behavior nor they want to go against social norms and values. They are here to systematize and bring the situation under control so that the civilians could be able to run their routine smoothly.

This paper has been divided into five pars. In the first part I have tried give focus on the brief police history in the world as well as in Nepal.  The Metropolitan Police force was established on 29^th September 1829by Sir Robert Peen in London. That was the beginning of the police force in the world. The force was established to investigate crime and policing. The city was under terror and the concerned authorities tried to seek for the solution and the result was forming the force for security of persons and property. It was highly effective on those days to form the force. Everyone was excited regarding the formation.

So far as police history of Nepal is concerned, it was established during the Rana Regime as Milisiya, Thana Police Chauki, Office of the police Director General which later took the form of Nepal police. The formal establishment of Nepal police was done in 1952 in Kathmandu. The Inspector General of Police was Mr. Toran Shamsher Ja. Ba. Rana. This formation gradually took a grand shape in Nepal as the police force. Since then police force is working under the control of the state authority and acting as their right hands to implement any act and bring law and order in the state.

In the second part I have tried to focus on the public expectation from the police because everyone cannot be police and everyone cannot secure themselves. They need any state authority who could take charge to punish and reward as per the time demands. The criminals should be punished and the civilians should be given full confidence to live in peace and harmony. In the third part I have tried to find out some problems of police and public. Although the police were established to bring peace and harmony but we can find some events which do not fit for the police to be done. Due to such issues, there have been some gaps regarding police-public relationship. In the fourth part I have tried to redefine the needs and significance of police regarding public reach. The gap is increasing day by day and that has to be filled by any means. In the last part, I have tried to describe some more possibilities for bringing the police and public together again so that they could be able to walk together and bring prosperity and harmony in the state.

Policing History of the World and Nepal

The Metropolitan Police force was established on 29^th September 1829 by Sir Robert Peen in London. That was the beginning of the police force in the world. The force was established to investigate crime and policing. The city was under terror and the concerned authorities tried to seek for the solution and the result was forming the force for security of persons and property. It was highly effective on those days to form the force. Everyone was excited regarding the formation. Because everyone cannot be honest regarding living in the society and run their life under honesty. Some may try to create terror in the society to show their superiority. For that they try to violet the rules and regulations and norms values established for an ideal state. They challenge the state authority even in the various cases. To bring under the state rules and regulations, some force is essential. The conscious persons on those days were highly sensitive regarding bringing peace and harmony in the society. On those days, London city was developing various criminal activities. The concerned authorities were worried how to have control over it. A strong organization was essential even in 18^th century to maintain law and order which had been the public concern. In 1812, 1818 and 1822, Parliamentary committees were appointed in investigate the subject of crime and policing. But it was not until 1828 when Sir Robert Peel set his committee that the findings paved the way for his police Bill, which led to the setting up of an organized police service in London to control the organized criminal world.

So far as police history of Nepal is concerned, it was established during the Rana Regime as milisiya, Thana Police Chauki, Office of the Police Director General which later took the form of Nepal police. The formal establishment of Nepal police was done in 1952 in Kathmandu. The Inspector General of Police was Mr. Toran Shamsher Ja. Ba. Rana. This formation gradually took a grand shape in Nepal as the police force. Since then police force is working under the control of the state authority and acting as their right hands to implement the law and order in the state. The Police Act 2012 BS (1956 AD) came into effect. The Police Regulation, 2015 BS (1959) came into effect. The parliamentary Government under the multi-party system was adopted for some years which was followed by Panchayat System since 1960. The establishment of the Central Police Training Centre in 1963 was done. The role of police was focused mainly in safeguarding the interest if the ruling system. The Peoples democratic movement of 1990 reinstated the multi party democratic system. The new constitution of the kingdom was promulgated on Nov. 9.1991. The Police Reform Commission was constituted in the year 1992 and Modernization of the Police Organization started to tune with the aspirations of the people and norms of Multi-Party system. The first contingent of Police personnel was deployed in UN Mission in 1991. More than 2000 police personnel have already left their feet serving the international community in blue helmet.

Public Expectation

In every state, the security is provided by the police. They are expected to be anywhere where there is crime and chaos. Because everybody cannot be strong and go against those rioters. In that case, the presence of the police force is a most. The state forms certain norms as well as rules and regulations. The civilians cannot take weapons against those rioters but those rioters may have weapons. Not only that the public may not be allowed to use any weapon as well. In this regard, the authorized persons who can control the chaos are required. Even those rioters can be afraid of those authentic persons who have got state power to use. Similarly, everyone expects to earn and save some property for the future as well as the next generation. But they themselves cannot protect those properties. For the security as well the police force is required. To be safe and secured in various conditions, the commoners need the state security that can be given by the police. Therefore, for the social security as well as overall protection, police force is required. Similarly, to deter the criminals and make they realize the presence of the state authority and maintain the law and order in the state and provide psychological security, the force is inevitable. To make people feel secured the state has to play a vital role on the behalf of the force. Overall, the police force is required for every citizen to feel free live happily in a state. And the state authority doesn't leave any gap regarding maintaining the targeted goal.

"Role" -- this is a sociological term that allows us to talk about the characteristics of various people and things without reference to the actual people involved. An example of a role is the wheel that spins in the mouse cage. A status is the mouse. It doesn't matter what kind of mouse you put in the cage; the fact it has a wheel means that spinning is the kind of behavior we would expect in that role. Police have accumulated several roles ("wheels") over the years that they cannot shed or have extreme difficulty shedding. It's hard to exit a role. Here's some examples: (1) Unquestionable Use of Force - this role was first suggested by the criminal justice scholar Egon Bittner. It means somebody in society has to play the role of "bully" you can't talk back to - it's unquestionable or indisputable authority. Police don't have to give you any explanation or take any guff off you when they're using force or pretty much engaged in getting down to business; (2) Information Gathering - this role was envisioned and implemented by J. Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI. Although society has its national security agencies, nobody is better positioned in society, with the technology, with the know-how, and with the experience, to start collecting domestic intelligence information, if they wanted to. Police cannot help collecting more information on citizens than they have a right to know.  Information gathering has just been a natural part of their role.

"Function" -- This is another sociological term that refers to something that has survival value for society or an organization. Police have two kinds of functions: intended and unintended. The unintended functions may resemble roles and, in fact, may be the cause of them, but it's the intended functions (that police may not admit, but are only slightly aware of) that concern us. Here's a list of police functions: (1) Morals Enforcement - the oldest function in police history, shared with religion; a lot of law enforcement is about morality; (2) Class Control - it's been said that outside of Alcoholics Anonymous, there's no better enforcer of middle class values than the police. They're all about giving their best service to the upwardly mobile middle class. The rich don't need them; they have their own security. And, the police have never been useful in fighting poverty or uplifting the poor in any society. No, police are a middle class institution, and they preserve the class lines very well; (3) Riot Control - everybody knows that you don't use military force against your own citizens, that's what the police are for; (4) Order Maintenance - this is the "Woodsy the Owl" idea of "policing" your picnic area before you leave. It's the "order" part of "law & order". It refers to the nonarrest things police do, like give advice, warnings, or assist with graffiti and litter removal. The police function here is to "beautify" society, if you will. It's the basis of the modern community policing movement; (5) Safety - this is the "green cross" job of making sure that accidents don't happen. The police would love nothing better than to farm out their traffic safety duties to some other agency, but we can't seem to get those meter maids and crossing guards organized into a profession. It's only an historical accident, anyway, that the police took over traffic safety in 1911 because they came up with the idea of street lights; (6) Service - "Whom are you calling?" Who else besides the police are there 24/7 to answer every emergency or assist you with directions if you get hungry in the middle of the night. (7) Crime Fighting - This function is so closely tied up with image and ideology that it's hard to even have a serious discussion about it, but it's supposed to be neutral.

"Mandate" -- Despite what many in policing believe is the meaning of this term, which can be strictly interpreted as mission objectives or required tasks to be carried out, this is also a term that combines the idea of what the law requires the police to do with a vision of the future, as police help to bring about that future.  Probably the most important mandate for law enforcement in general is to uphold their honor and dignity, no matter what else they are tasked to do. 

"Style" -- This is a term that gets at how well a person or agency copes under stress. Later on, we learn all about individual styles, but more important is the notion of departmental styles, and how we can classify police agencies by the secrets they reveal under stress.  Style is also established by the demographic characteristics of the population a police agency serves.  Hence, we can easily say that federal policing has no "watchman" or community policing style since federal agencies serve too broad a demographic population.  Cities tend to get the police style they deserve. 

"Issue" -- This is a term for anything trans-jurisdictional. There's no such thing as a local issue. All issues are at least national in scope. C. Wright Mills in The Sociological Imagination said that an issue is a threat to mores.  I'm not a sociologist of mores, but I'd say something becomes a police issue when it involves ethics.

"Problem" -- I'll defer to Sociology for a definition of this term, but my understanding of it is that a social problem is something that people believe needs to be changed. The police problem exists when the police think it's right to do one thing, and the public thinks it's right to do another thing.

"Image & Ideology" -- The word "image" is the public relations spin that an agency puts out. It's pretty much synonymous with words like "mystique" or "aura."  The word "ideology" refers to a belief in something as true when it's actually false, or at the base of it, false. Ideologies are created by putting a positive spin on something negative. Ideologies also always rest on a lie. It's the opposite of the word "institution" because anything that reaches the level of social institution must rest on a kernel of truth, at least according to the great sociologist, Durkheim.

·                                 "Socialization & Personality" -- Socialization is the internalization of norms, when an employee takes on all the attitudes, beliefs, and values of the organization, there are two approaches to the study of police personality: (1) the predispositional approach - before coming to police work, the employee has strong core elements at the center of his/her personality, like a cabbage; (2) the socialization approach - once coming into police work, the employee loses whatever center they had, and whatever was at their core is replaced by reflections or layers of organizational norms, attitudes, beliefs, and values, like an onion.

Problems of Police-Public Relationship

It has been specified that police force is required to maintain harmony, law and order in the society. In some cases we can find that the police are lacking this status. Police are found themselves violating the rules and regulations. Whether we talk about the world aspect or the local, we can find from the history that they are involved in illicit behavior. In the name of the power holder some were and are found misusing their powers. In remote areas, police are found involving in collecting protection money, and even involved in kidnapping (the concerned persons have been penalized in the terai area). Not only that how can we forget about a rape case of a lady police officer who has charged a writ against some of the police personnel? Similarly, during Maoist insurgency, we could find many examples of illicit behaviours of police on those areas where people depended on police. In stead of making them feel of secured, people were afraid of police. That forced them to go against police force and created dissatisfaction among people.  So it has been essential to check and balance for the police force as per given.

Internal control systems can be defined in general terms as core values, processes and mechanisms through which police authorities regulate and guide the daily activities of

their institutions and confront individual acts of wrongdoing. They also offer an important line of defense against corruption and abuse in a police force and provide a key measure of police authorities’ will to hold their personnel accountable for abuse and other misconduct or inappropriate behavior and by so doing promote positive relations with the community. When effective, internal controls systems can assist in analyzing and changing the regulatory and management systems and practices of the

police to refine their capabilities and improve their performance, both in their effectiveness and ethics.

It is usually only when the police are being vilified by the press for egregious violations of human rights such as extra-judicial killing or when the victim is a prominent person that you mostly hear about their internal disciplinary systems. On those occasions the police would either dismiss such erring officers from service or quickly convoke orderly room trials ostensibly to douse public anger against the activities of its officers. While it could be argued that the number of police officers investigated or disciplined for acts of misconduct has greatly increased since information or statistics on culprits, their offences and the processes through which they were disciplined are hardly available in the public domain. The list of the individuals is only provided reactively and on an ad hoc basis when the police come under severe public criticisms for not doing much to bring its erring members to book. Furthermore, you cannot simply work into a police station and get statistics on complaints or even commendations that officers have received in the course of their work within a given period. You usually have to apply and go several times before they would be made available to you, if at all they do.

Redefining the Needs of Police

The citizens need police for the various purposes. They not only can be used for just giving the security but also for some creative works. They can be used for developmental aspects in the society and even creative phenomena. In various countries we have already seen that the police are used for road construction. If the state goes in complete peace and harmony, they can be obviously used with coordination with the people regarding various purposes. The public-police coordination will bring a core goal and it will really bring keen relationship between police and public. It will certainly develop bilateral relationship. Similarly, the police can be used in the nation building and social motivational factors. As the police are found involved in some illicit activities regarding those acts, the public should be reassured so that they could be confirmed about how to behave with the police. In some of the countries, police are used for recreational activities as well as they are used for the public awareness. They can also be used in the society regarding social building.

What more can be done?

On those areas where police have left a negative impact among people, a new plan has to be brought. Such plan should be accomplished in both police-public partnership so that the faith towards police of the public will be reestablished. Not only that whatever wrong aspects regarding state affairs have been done, those should be clearly stated even if not, under the norms and values of the police, the minimum information should be allocated. The media campaign is the essential factor at the moment. The good deeds of the police from the past till date should be brought frequently so that whatever negative impacts are there in people about them can be re-corrected.

Conclusion

This paper examined police community relations and identified structural and institutional factors that militate against harmonious and friendly relations between the police and the communities they serve. At the structural level the paper argued that the oppressive and exploitative economic, social and political system in the country created a wide gulf between the citizens and the rulers. The police enforcement of the unpopular and repressive laws enacted by rulers engenders conflict between them and the people. The high level of hostility between the police and the larger segment of the society who are needy and vulnerable should be cohered.

The involuntary nature and scope of contact between the police and the public was also identified as a major source of friction between the police and the public. The restrictive contacts between the police and citizens against the background of the country's political and economic structures contributes to or escalates mutual hostility between the police and citizens, which occasionally results into misunderstanding. The following recommendations are offered steps as that should be taken by the  government, the police and civil society groups to improve and ensure positive police community relations:

1. The country must restructure its political and economic structure towards democratizing the polity, and promoting economic efficiency and competitiveness  with due consideration for and guarantee of social equity and welfare, especially  in the provision of health, education and housing for the needy.

2. The Leadership of the police needs to make police discipline a national functional policing priority and it needs to start from the top. The importance of leadership as a driving force for culture change in policing institutions has long been identified. In  this regard, the police hierarchy should see disciplinary system as a tool for achieving their values, mission and vision. Disciplinary system can be used proactively to promote a new culture and establish minimum standards for the police as a whole. The system could then be used not only to set clear standards

for the institution but could also be used in a fair and consistent manner to remove those police members who are undermining the transformation and effectiveness in the state.

3. The police code of conduct contained in the Police Act should be reviewed. This review should seek to reduce the rather lengthy to code to size that could easily be memorized and internalized by police officials. It should emphasize the service nature of police and incorporate standards contained the United Nations Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials as well as drawn inference from the more recent guidelines on the conduct of police.  

4. The police leadership needs to streamline the unusually high number of disciplinary mechanisms that presently exist in the force, as they make their work not only ineffective through unnecessary duplications but also create problems in tracking police personnel that are processed through them. Since the three bodies are involved in processing cases of police misconduct and abuse of human rights. Similarly, the tendency of successive IGPs to establish their own ad hoc mechanism for dealing with police abuse such as corruption and human rights

violation should be stopped as they create coordination problems and tend to undermine existing mechanisms. Rather such extant mechanisms should be assisted with resources and personnel to make them more effective.

5. Processes for receiving complaints should include mandatory record keeping and tracking systems to provide some protection against police efforts to dismiss or cover up complaints. Any process by which complaints are screened in order to evaluate which merit a full investigation must be open to public scrutiny to assure that dismissals are valid. Similarly the complaints process should provide guarantees for the security for the complainant against any potential threats or reprisals. The police must also make clear that they will punish any effort to

intimidate or retaliate against complainants.

6. The scope of contacts between the police and citizens should be enlarged to include social services delivery by police and regular non law enforcement related meetings should be held with communities in order to create favourable environment for public cooperation with police, in their law enforcement duties.

7. The pace and scope of the on going police reform process with emphasis on community partnership and problem-oriented policing strategy should be increased and vigorous public enlightenment campaign about the programme should be launched in collaboration with civil society groups in the country for members of the public to know what it is all about.

8. Finally, civil society organizations need to create programmes, activities and measures that will enhance partnership and cooperation between the public and police. Additionally, the organizations should empower citizens to ensure police accountability and effectiveness in their service delivery functions. Civil society groups can promote these through the mobilization of the public in support of police legitimate efforts as well as the mobilization of citizens against abuse of authority/power, brutality and violence, insensitivity incivility and ineffectiveness by police. Civil society institutions should maintain a strong monitoring, research, training and advocacy capacity on police work in the country.

Needs and Challenges of Public Colleges

By-Satya Narayan Sardar

Introduction

The development process in every country derives from the interface between policies and their implementation, which in turn depends on the quality of governance. Good governance ensures the proper framework for the citizens for their optimal benefits. Nepal’s efforts for administrative improvement began only after the early 1950s. The recommendations of the Buch Committee and Administrative Reorganization and Planning Commission (ARPC) were the major endeavors for initiating an improvement in the administrative system in those days in Nepal. Despite ARPC recommended for the establishment of Institute of Public Administration for providing education on administrative science and imparting training, the process began only in the late 1960s.

Initially, public administration education was started with one-year diploma in public administration together with imparting in-service training for HMG Second Class Gazetted Officers under Center for Economic Development and Administration (CEDA) of the Tribhuvan University. Later in 1976, Public Administration Campus (PAC) - a full fledge constituent campus of the Tribhuvan University was established. PAC was assumed the sole responsibility for education for public administration and undertook "Diploma in Public Administration" (DPA Program until 1979). The mission quickly evolved to include offering Master degree in Public Administration in 1979. To upgrade and get more independent status, the Tribhuvan University has created Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA) in 1986. Since then PAC/CDPA has been imparting education, training and conducting research in the area of public affairs management.

Sole Tribhuwan University was not able to conduct the whole academic programme on the complete involvement of the government and thus, the public affiliation was given to the various campuses in the various time and periods. The aim of those colleges was and is to impart the education based on the curriculum of the Tribhuwan University. Various campuses have been successful to achieve the goal in the various time frames. For the last few years, the public campuses have been facing several challenges due to the liberal policy of the university. As several private institutions have been emerged, in stead of providing the quality education with accessible fee for all, it marched towards expensive and privatized education system. It really brought a great gap between the public campuses and private campuses. The gap is, day by day, increasing and bringing a great distinction between the scholars of these two types of campuses.

Needs

Nepal is filled with several villages with three regions- Terai, hill and mountain. The number of the dwellers is deprived of the fundamental needs including education and even employment opportunities. They cannot even manage the sufficient fund for their children. They are deprived of the quality education. Those students, though, come to good colleges but cannot adjust nor compete with the students who come from the private schools. They are anyhow inclined to get the higher education not on those highly equipped and well furnished and sophisticated colleges. In those areas we cannot get the facilitated colleges. For the people of those regions, the public colleges are only the option. In spite of the fact that those colleges are not so highly sophisticated, the students try to abide with those students who are really competitive and some how perfect in grabbing the opportunities of the any concerned field.

On the another hand, the poverty plays a vital role to stay those students in such places and gain the education as per provided by the concerned colleges because they have to be educated and be eligible for at least applying for any post. In this regard, the public colleges play a vital role to enable the students to come up to level and compete with the strong rivals. And thus, the public colleges are really desired to be for such scholars who are away from the main stream and though they have the caliber to compete. For such aspect, the public colleges have a great contribution nowadays. In spite of the fact that private colleges are far ahead, they are still required for the nation building. Because the scholars produced from most of the private colleges are found going abroad for the further studies and even employment. Though public colleges are producing maximum medium leveled manpower and they are highly dedicated in nation building.

Challenges

In the competitive context, public colleges are somehow far behind from the private colleges. In every sector private college students are ahead and they are grabbing every opportunity. Whether we talk about IOM or IOE, everywhere the students from private colleges are ahead. To compete in such circumstances, the public colleges have to come forth with various strategies such as competitive students, manpower, schooling atmosphere and so on. Complete English atmosphere is another challenge for the public colleges. Public awareness is burning aspect to be brought in them. Everyone runs after enabling the children for grabbing the opportunities available. That atmosphere should be created by the public colleges so that the students could be attracted towards such colleges. It is

obvious that the colleges cannot provide quality education in such less amount nor can hire highly qualified teachers. For the few years, the public colleges have been place for the political practices. It has really brought a great fall in the quality of the colleges. Therefore, the public colleges should be completely free from political interference and should be regarded as independent institution for the scholars. That really will bring a good atmosphere for good scholars and that surely will bring a drastic change in the status of the public colleges. So far as the fee structure is concerned, the government should strongly implement certain criteria so that those private colleges can be controlled and students may not find differences in those colleges. Even the funding from the government sector for these college is required so that the infrastructure would be strong and students would be automatically motivated towards these colleges.

Bantar Community in Nepal

By: Satya Narayan Sardar

M.A. (English), M.A. (Anthropology), M. Phil. (English)

              Lecturer

Himalayan WhiteHouse Int’l College,

New Baneshwor, Kathmandu

Bridgewater Int’l College,

Sinamangal, Kathmandu

Nepal is located between two large countries, India and China in Asia as a land looked Himalayan country. This is one of the countries having ancient remains and civilizations. The rituals, rites, traditions and customs of Nepal are appreciable from the ancient time. And thus, it has been able to establish its distinct identity in the world. It is because Nepal is Multi ethnic, multi lingual, democratic, independent and developing community. The highest peak Mt. Everest has been the identifying icon to Nepal around the world. Similarly, Nepal has been paradise for the nature lovers due to its natural properties as well as flora and fauna. Not only that Nepal is also known as the second richest country in natural resources like forest and water.

Nepal has been the sanctuary for the various castes and ethnics from the ancient time. All the castes and ethnics are having their distinct language, rituals but yet we can find tolerance between all the castes and ethnics in the country. They are quite cooperative and helpful to one another from the ages.

There are 101 castes with 92 particular Mother Tongue speaking in Nepal. (Census 2001) There are many casts which could not step ahead in the modern era with the equal balance with the other and going to lose their ethnic identity, folklore. One of the casts is Banter.

Banters are living in the Terai region from Jhapa to Parsa as well as in Chitwan In some of the districts, they are called Tharus because their physical appearance and some rituals match with the Tharus. Therefore, Dor Bahadur Bista counts as one of the types of the Tharus whereas they are distinct completely and far away from the Tharus. So far as their historical back ground is concerned, they have emigrated from some Indian districts like Purniya, Saharsa and its provinces like Nahredigar and Praganna. They are indigenous of the Terai in Nepal particularly Saptari district (HMG Doc.).

            Their residential area is the villages in the Terai. They are simple farmers and labourers. Serially they are like Musahar, Dhobi, Teli, Kurmi, Sudi, Dusadh, Khatve of the Terai. They are following the traditional professions. Even their traditional profession as farm labour is also in pitiable condition. It is due to illiteracy and zero improvement in their traditional profession. Anyhow they are maintaining their life with the traditional tools in their profession.

            There have not been detail studies about this caste. Even there are not enough researches done on their folklores. Thus to know the meaning of the word ‘Bantar’ we should go towards myths and folktales. According to the myths, Bantars used to live near the forests which can be analyzed as follows- ‘Bana’ means jungle and ‘Tar’ means the sage. As they lived near the jungle as gullible inhabitants, they were called ‘Banatar’ or the gullible sage. Later ‘Banatar’ was converted into ‘Bantar’. Hari Bansha Jha also says that “This Bantar caste lived near the forest and even followed the rites and rituals of the other casts.” (Jha, 1993)

            This caste has its own rites and folklores but due to the lack of a proper research, their identifying folklores are gradually disappearing and hybridizing. Even H. H. Risley (1892) has said “This caste to be one of the Tharus”. But reality can be found something else. The social development of this caste is very back and this they have not been able to bring their folklores among the mass so that they could exist among the various castes. Their cultural identities and traditions are disappearing gradually. Those cultural identities and traditions must be identified.

            Male and female are counted as ‘two wheels of a cart; they cannot be complete without one another. But even in the present advanced and modernized world, male and female are not equal due to the patriarchal society. Females are always suppressed and dominated even exploited in the various societies. Although male and female have their district roles in the society to play. But practically we don’t find such situation. Females are always backward and even ignored. So far as Bantar community is concerned, it is also a patriarchal male dominated society. And thus, we can find the miserable condition of the women. They are dominated and suppressed by males on the one hand they have been suppressed and ignored by the society as well. Thus, it has been the challenge to find out their economic and social status in the concerned society. May be they have been suppressed from the time being or they have just been the time sufferer – those have to be found out. It is hoped that this research will help to know the real role of the females in the concerned family and even they also may feel their significant role in the family as well as in the society.

            One the recent time, we can find some changes on their life style as well as the social activities. Though Bantars are scheduled (untouchable) castes but there is not any social discrimination found these days. They are maintaining their life as farmers, labours and less are found involved in official jobs as doctors, teachers, bankers etc. Their cooperative behaviour has brought a good relation with the other castes. Due to the effect of the globalization, there are some changes found regarding female status in the concerned society. Till now, there has not been essential to study about their social and economic status minutely. The same issue has come to be my purpose to study and complete my thesis.

 An Overview of Bantar Population in Nepal

            Bantar community has been regarded as an indigenous group living in Nepal before the time of Prithvi Narayan Shah. Even now we can find this community living in the different parts of the country. The population census 2001 has indicted the Bantar community living in the different parts of Nepal in various numbers. The number of Bantar community as per the census has been indicated in the table below.

Bantar Population in Nepal

S.N.	Name of the Districts	Male	Female	Total	% in District	Remarks
1.	Sankhuwasava	3		3
2.	Dhankutta	1		1
3.	Bhojpur	7	9	16
4.	Okhaldhunga	1		1
5.	Udayapur	10	13	23
6.	Jhapa	48	39	87	0.01
7.	Morang	6308	6076	12384	1.47
8.	Sunsari	4354	4260	8614	1.38
9.	Saptari	5267	5234	10501	1.84
10.	Siraha	654	687	1341	0.24
11.	Lalitpur	10	1	11
12.	Kathmandu	14	4	23
13.	Dhanusha	74	65	139	0.02
14.	Mahottari	1327	1259	2586	0.47
15.	Sarlahi	9	7	16
16.	Bara	15	10	25
17.	Parsa	2	3	5
18.	Chitwan	3	1	4
19.	Syanja	2		2
20.	Myagdi	1		1
21.	Nawalparasi	1		1
22.	Kapisvastu	1	3	4
23.	Kailali	29	22	51	0.01

                                                                        Source: Population Census 2001

            In the above distribution, some of the districts are highly populated districts-such as Morang (12384), Saptari (10501), Sunsari (8614) etc. Some districts like Siraha, Mahottari are also the districts with certain number of the Bantars. Even in Kailali (51) also we can get some Bantars. In some districts like Dhankutta (1), Myagdi (1), Nawalparasi (1), Syanja (2), Okhaldhunga (1), Sankhuwasava (3), Chitwan (4), Kapilvastu (4), Parsa (5), there are less number of Bantars  found. They are found not as the inhabitants but as service holders or living there for some business purpose.

Development Region wise Bantar Population

S.N.	Development Region	Total		Hill Area		Terai Area		%	Remarks
		Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
1.	Eastern	16652	16319	21	23	16631	16296	92
2.	Central	1454	1355	24	10	1430	1345	7.84
3.	Western	4	4	3		1	4	0.02
4.	Far Western	29	22			29	22	0.14
Total		18139	17700	18	33	18091	17667	100

Source: Population Census 2001

            The Eastern development region has been found highly populated regarding the number of Bantars. There are 92% Bantars living in this region. Similarly, in the central development region 7.84% has been found. The less number of Bantars is found in Western development region. In the Mid-Western Development region there is not any Bantar population found. Even in Far-Western Development Region, there is only 0.14% Bantars are found. The above diagram shows the maximum number of population living in the Eastern Development region whereas the Western region has the lower population.

Region-wise Bantar Population

S.N.	Region	Total		%	Remarks
		Male	Female
1.	Hill	48	33	0.23
	Terai	18091	17667	99.77
Total		18139	17700	100

                                                              Source: Population Census 2001

            Most of the Bantars are found living in the Terai region. There are 99.77% in the Terai whereas in hill area there is only 0.33%. It indicates the Terai to be the main place for the living of the Bantar community.

Area-wise Bantar Population

S.N.	Area	Total		%	Remarks
		Male	Female
1.	Urban	1148	1112	6.3
	Rural	16991	16588	93.7
Total		18139	17700	100

                                                               Source: Population Census 2001

Large number of Bantars is found living in rural area. There are 93.7% in the rural area whereas only 6.3% Bantars are living in the urban area. The data show that the Bantars specially are living in the rural area for the ages. Only those who are having some sort of business and some jobs are living in the urban area.

Castes & Gotras of Bantar

Bantars who have settled down through out Terai belt from Mechi to Mahakali have various castes, sub-castes and Gotras. It is quite difficult to list the Castes and sub- castes of Bantar because they have number of castes and sub- castes as well as Gotras. Most of the castes and sub castes of Bantar are based on the places where they had lived and worked. For example, they first lived in forests and worshipped monkey god – Bandar so they were called Bantar. After that some people started to work in the palace being doorkeeper and they are called ‘Dhoke’. Similarly, few were appointed, as leader of the group became ‘Sardar’. Few worked as witch doctor and got the title as ‘Dhami’. Some were upgraded by Ranas were known as ‘Rajbantar’. Few engaged in fishing to live on and known as ‘Majhi’.

Rajbantar or Rajdhami think themselves higher than other castes in their community. The remarkable point in this context is that Dhokewal Bantar is the oldest among the other Bantars in their origin. Some of the Bantars believed themselves to be migrated from India.

There are many other castes and sub castes found in the Bantar community. These are the castes and sub-castes along with the titles of Bantars through out the Country. So for as the castes and sub- castes of Bantars also are not different than above-mentioned list.

            The castes and sub- castes of Bantars are also based on the name of the occupation they have done. Whatever the castes and sub- castes of Bantars are found in the community in total are called Bantar. The castes and sub-castes of Bantars are as follow: - a) Sardar, b) Rajbantar, c)  Rajdhami, d) Dhoke, e) Majhi etc.

Those who came from Saptari are called 'Saptaria' Bantars. Most of Bantars living are from Saptari district. Some of the titles are related to the work they do.

Bantar Females in the form of Mother

            Bantar society is patriarchal society. They believe in Hinduism. It is obvious that in Hinduism, there are a lot of female goddesses. That influence can be found in this society also. On the one hand, females are worshiped as goddesses and on another hand, they are behaved as the slaves for the males. Until and unless a female remains in a family as daughter-in-law, she is not other than a slave in the family. She has to look after all the household activities; she has to obey every order of the seniors in the family; she has to bear and rear the children as well as go and work in the fields. They are not counted as the key persons in the family. And therefore, they are not asked while taking any decision for the family. They have to approve and obey the decisions made by the seniors in the family.

            After the woman becomes a mother in the family; and her children grow up, her role changes. She is highly respected by the family members. She is appreciated and asked in any kind of decision making process. She is supposed to teach good manners and behaviours to their daughters and daughter-in-laws in the family. Though the Bantar community is patriarchal community but in the recent days we can find some changes in the community. Mothers were supposed to be the subordinates to the fathers. The time and the circumstances have brought the significance of the female role in the families. Due to changing behaviours of the males, females have been much more active in the family.

            Males come late home working the whole day outside. And thus, females have to play a vital role in the family. Not only that many Bantar males are found destroying their ancestral properties. Therefore, females take charge of the family affair and control the whole family members. In another sense, we can say that they playing the role of the head of the family. They not only look after the kids but also the household activities. Above all, in Bantar community, women are the strong figure in the family as they come in the stage of mother.

Bantar Females in the form of Daughter

            The Bantar society is ruled by the patriarchal thought, norms and values. It really can bring some change in the thought of the male people. It has brought a great feeling as patriarchy among the males. Such thought has made the males superior in the society. Therefore, there is somehow seen or unseen discrimination between son and daughter in the family as well as in the society.  Sons are given high priority and the daughters are less. If a son takes birth is a family, it is highly celebrated whereas the birth of a daughter is not so much highly celebrated. It is same like other families which are not Bantars. There are many families and couples who are bearing numbers of daughters with the hope of having a son. When there are many daughters, the daughters are ignored.

            If a woman does not give birth to a son in a family, the male is forced to get married for the second time just for a son. Obviously, the more number of daughters brings negligence towards the daughters in the family. And same condition can be found in the Bantar communities also. Thus, daughters are forced to do the household activities from her early ages. They are sent to work even in the farms as well. They are socially trained to be adopted by the new family. But yet, they have somehow good position in the family comparatively than the daughter-in-laws. Inside the house, they are completely controlled by their mothers. If they go out for the labour work and earn some money, they have to give the money to their father. In Bantar society, the daughters are not allowed to go outside alone.

They have to go in group. In spite of that if a girl likes any boy, she can marry by going to the boy’s house. It is a unique tradition in practice in the Bantar society.

            If a girl goes to the boy’s house, it is known as GHARDHUKI PRATHA. In the society, the girls have such right. Nobody can ignore it. They start doing the household activities in the concerned family where she goes. The family members ask her for whom she has come to be GHARDHUKI. Even the social members ask her the same question. In some cases, the boy may not accept her. But generally there can be understanding between boy and girl. After some days the social members gather and manage a feast and a marriage ceremony. With certain rituals, they are socially accepted.

Though there is restriction for the girls in the family, but the GHARDHUKI PRATHA allows them to select their husbands and live happily. It indicates about the indirect love marriage in the society from the previous days. Generally GHARDHUKI marriage is done by unmarried girls, girls who are in love and the adult widows. This is a unique tradition prevailing in Bantar community. It also indicates that though women are restricted but indirectly they are given freedom as well. They can be in favour of the parents until and unless they are over pressed. If they are forced, they can select their life partner themselves.

Due to the rapid development of communication, male and female are not far away from one another. They count each other to be equal. Not only that many human right activists also have made them aware of their rights. The discrimination prevailing in the society is day by reducing. Even the discrimination regarding boy and son is day by day decreasing in the society. But if we go to the remote area where there are numbers of Bantars are living, there, we can find such trend still prevailing in the society.

            Due to the rapid development, the normal thought towards daughter is changing day by day. Previously, the community had a strong prejudice towards daughters and thought them to be the person who goes to other’s house and therefore they had not to be highly prioritized nor educated. Gradually they came to realize that if they don’t educate their daughter how can they expect their daughter-in-law to be educated. If they don’t educate their daughters, they also have to accept the uneducated daughter-in-law. This perception brought gradual change in their mind and began to think that sons and daughters are the same and they have to be equally prioritized.

In the society it is found that the thought towards daughter and son has been changed. Previously sons were supposed to be the generation-promoter and support for the old age. But the survey has indicated that such trend has been changed. We can see that 75% women pointed that sons and daughters equal. They have to be equally prioritized and given equal opportunities. And thus, daughters are these days given equal priority like sons in the society.

Bantar Females in the form of Wife

            Bantar community is a patriarchal society. Males play the significant role to run the society. They want to have the dominant presence in the society and family as well. Males always want to dominate females and control them. They control females in various issues. Females have to do all sort of household activities from early morning to the late evening. They have to rear the cattle; they have to look after the children; they have to care father-in-law and mother-in-law. Not only that they also have to work in the field and still have to under the control of the males. On the another hand, whatever things are given to the females – to wear and eat they have to accept. In another sense, in Bantar community, females are dominated and discriminated and they have to much more works than the males in the society.

            In Bantar community, women are only taken as the property for the males. Regarding such concept, females are physically tortured and scolded here and there. The women, who only give birth to daughters or who don’t give birth to any child, have to face the second wife for their husbands. Females are not allowed to call the name of their husbands nor husbands of their wives. If a woman becomes ill for a long time and doesn’t become able to do a lot physical labour, they are condemned and ignored in the family. In some cases, they are blamed of being witch and the woman with black sight. In such cases, a woman cannot develop her personality nor come ahead in the society to lead or rule. They are blamed and sometimes physically tortured and socially ignored as well. In various cases, females are not involved in making decisions.

            Despite the fact that females are ignored, they are given some rights and facilities in the society. Females are totally looked after by their husbands. If a male doesn’t look after his wife, she can call a meeting and force her husband to look after her. They have right to go in their family god house (GAHABARA) and worship like males.  In some cases, a married woman can marry or elope with an unmarried boy which is known as URRAHI PRATHA in Bantar community. They can elope and settle down with a particular boy. In this condition, the parents of the woman have to pay some money to her previous husband. Such money is called JARI in the society.

            In Bantar community, like other Terian community, females have to put veil and cover their face in front of their father-in-law, elder brother-in-law, maternal uncle-in-law, son-in-law and other senior member to her husband in the society. They carve some tattoos in different parts of their bodies like hand, calf, chest, upper back and so on. The veil and tattoos have historical significance. According some of the senior members of the society, in thirteenth century, a Muslim invader, Sumsuddin Illias, invaded in some parts of India and they began to capture the wives and daughters and took with them. The females were mostly victimized. Some muslim persons themselves gave the idea that if the females put tattoos and veil in their body, those invaders would reject them and they would be safe. And as they applied the same way, they really found safe from the invaders. Since then the Bantar women are putting veil and tattoos in their body. Even they migrated to Nepal many centuries ago but still they are practicing the same trend in their society.

            Nowadays many organizations are running in the society and females are being able to take some loans and help their husbands financially. They are now able to uplift their life from such source. Therefore, comparatively the condition of females is better than before.

Child Marriage in Bantar Community:

            Child Marriage in Bantar Community was in full practice previously. The boy and girl used to be married just carrying on lap. They believed that the marriage after menstruation was the murder of zygote. So, the girls used to be married in early ages. But the gradual development and impact of education have brought a great change. The child marriage is rarely heard. In some villages, there is still the child marriage prevailing but in low number. It is all due to illiteracy and unawareness.

            The government has already imposed the law against the early marriage but there is nobody to complain against it and thus, early marriage and child marriage is still in practice in Bantar Community. Gradually, some changes have taken place. The leaders of the caste like Mainjan, Jawar, Dewan, Sardar etc. are requested by the concerned authorities to inform about the early, child marriage and prosecute the culprit. Those steps really have reduced in the number of the child and early marriage in the community.

Dowry System in Bantar Community:

            The dowry system was in full practice from the early period. But the dowry was given not to the boys but to the girls. The parents of the girl demanded the dowry from the parents of the boy and they had to pay. It was due to the less number of girls. But gradually the dowry system has been changed. Now boys’ parents demand dowry from the parents of the girls and they have to give goods, means of transportation, gold ring and so on. Due to such change in dowry system, the conjugal life of some of the married couples has been ruined.

            To minimize such problems, the concerned people are working on that. Even there is a committee working in favour of the people. They have brought some rules to discourage the dowry system.

Inter Caste Marriage in Bantar Community:

            Bantar Community is a mingled community with the others. Thus, there is a practice of inter-caste marriage in this community. But it is not as acceptable as the arranged marriage. If a boy marries the another caste girl, the community heads like Mainjan, Jawar, Sardar sit together and accept the girl as their caste type. The parents of the boy have to throw the feast to the villagers especially their own community members. The woman also has to approve to accept the rites and rituals as well rules and regulations of the community. They also have to approve the social norms and values.

Women in Caste Committee:

            Bantar people live together among their own group. If the Bantars live together and form a village, that is called Bantar Tol or Batarahi. The entire relative live together. The purpose behind this is they want to share their cultures, rites, rituals, festivals together. To manage the Banter community, there is working committee of the caste. The level wise distribution is:

i.                    Mainjan                 ii. Dewan

iii.                 Jawar                    iv.  Sardar

v.                  Salhaitya               vi. Pairjan

Mainjan is the head of the caste. The current Mainjan of the caste is Asha Kumar Sardar who is living in Ithari-9. Simple misunderstanding and quarrel are settled down by Dewan, Jawar and Sardar. If a serious case comes, the Mainjan has to settle down the problem calling the meeting of the particular caste people. Sardar is the leader and caretaker of the particular village. Salhaitya helps to organize the feast and takes care of the guests. If a woman gets any trouble either by the villagers or by her own husband, she can call a meeting of the whole caste people. Her problem has to be settled down by the concerned people. But women have no any position is such caste committee.

Education Status of Bantar Women

            Education is the key indicator of the progress. Educated person can bring a great change in their life. Both male and female have equal role to uplift the social life. It is said that if a male is educated; he is only educated and if a female is educated; the whole family is educated. Because an educated woman can help the whole family to educate and change. So far as the women of are concerned, only some women are found educated. Many are found informally educated. Some are only formally educated- it is all due to poverty, backwardness and early and child marriage.

The Religious Life of Bantar

The people of Bantar community basically follow the Hindu religion and worship the Hindu lords and goddess but they have their own traditional ethnic Gods and Goddesses as well. The remarkable part of their religious life is their eternal belief on nature and super nature. When we go through the Bantar religious life seriously, we come to know that the natural phenomena and the impact of nature in their life are very strong and impressive. Therefore it can be said that religion is not completely Hindu but their own type of religion which is chiefly overwhelmed by the Hinduism.

It is remarkable that almost all the Bantar people make their own 'Than' the holy place of their God to the particular village. But there is not any image of God or even photo. They, once a year, organize the fair in the place of 'Than’ community and celebrate their faith and religion. They worship their favourite deities and even Gerh Maharaj and offer the various animals like goat, pigeon, pig etc. on the occasion of the fair.

The people of Bantar community worship the sun and the moon as their eternal god. They perform the pray to their god on the occasion of the harvesting the crops every year. They worship the god of forest, rivers, stone etc. The Bantar people have established their own family deities ( Ista Devta) in their houses. They erect two flags in the eastern direction in the yard of the house. But the interesting matter is that there is not any image of God or photo in the place of their Ista Devta. Most of the families, on the other hand, set up the God in the main gate of the house also. They worship their Ista Devta (the Family Deity) and other Gods on the particular occasions. The person, who worship in the ‘Than’ as the Chief priest, is called Pujari.

The Feasts and festivals of Bantar

The feasts and festival are the identity of any community in the social. As other communities in the society, the Bantars also have their own feast and festivals in this origin. They have their own tradition and they celebrate their festivals according to their cultural traditions and ethnicity. They celebrate their festival in the different times of the year.

Siruwa

This is one of the major festivals of Bantar people. It is celebrated on the occasion new year in Baisakh.  This denotes their faith on the forth-coming time and their optimism to life. This festival is also called Baisakh or Jud shital. In fact the meaning of Siruwa is the beginning of the year. In this festival Bantar people exchange their wishes and give blessing to each other especially from seniors to juniors.

This festival is celebrated by all the Bantar people either adulator Children with equal enthusiasm. On this day, the female members of the family get up early and have bath. Then they worship their family deity and take a hand full of clean water and is poured on the legs of elders and asked the blessing. Similarly the seniors give the blessing to juniors by pouring water on head of them.

All the members of the family on this day seem very clean. They eat delicious food and variety. Basically they prepare the delicious food by cooking in ghee or mustard oil. They prepare the homemade wine by millet and rice and drink it with bitten rice and spicy varieties.

Chauthi Chan Parva (Festival)

This festival is also a main festival of the Bantar community in this region. This is the festival celebrated on the fourth day of the full moon day in Bhadra month. This day is also known as Ganesh Chauthi. The women and children in the Bantar community basically celebrate the festival. The women and children, on this day get up early and take bath in the rivers and ponds and become holy. The female members of the village clean by washing the ground and yard with the cow dung. They worship their family deity and remain in fasting whole day. They cook rice- pudding, porridge, bread etc and keep it in holy place. In the evening, they worship the moon with taking the beetle nut, nut, flower, sweets and other delicious fruits in the saucer. The fasting is completed in the evening after worshipping to the moon. This is how the people in Bantar community celebrate Chauthi Chan festival.

Jitiya Parva (Festival)

Jitiya Parva has occupied prominent place in the Bantar community. On the occasion of this festival the Bantar women particularly wish the long life and prosperous future to their children and family.

Moreover, they also wish the good health of their children. This festival is celebrated in Aswin month in autumn season. On this festival also, the women of the community remain in fasting and pray Jitbahan, the God and listen the legendary story. Here, the term Jitbahan means the great victory. The women who take fasting get up early in this day and take bath. Then, they eat fresh curd, bitten rice (Chiura) and sweets and other delicious foods. These varieties are called Otghan. After eating the food, they remain in fasting till next morning. Next morning, they take bath, clean the yard of their houses and pray to the Sun with flowers, colorful rice, oil, curd, sweets, fruits etc. They must manage fish. They have to offer all the things to the god in the leaf of ghuraula (one kind of guard). In the early morning they make the children sleep and eat. There is a saying in this community Jitiya Pavain bar bhari; dhiya puta ke thoik sutabei, apna khai bhair bhair thari (Jitiya festival is very difficult; children are made sleep and themselves eat delicious food full of dish).  This is how the women of Bantar community celebrate Jitiya festival. The purpose of the festival is to bless their sons that wherever they go, they should come being victorious.

Char Channa

            This festival is celebrated in Bhadra month in the next day of Teej in the Bantar community. Chiefly, the moon is worshipped in this occasion. The prayers in this festival wish to fulfill their desires. It is believed that the desires and wishes are fulfilled if the pray is done with full dedication and devotion. The prayers offer sweets, fruits and flowers to the moon on this occasion. This festival, in other word, is called Chauthi Channa Festival.

Dashahara ( Dashain )

The Bantar people have begun to celebrate Dashain as well. But in the past, particularly some eight or nine years ago, they did not have any attraction to celebrate Dashain. Nowadays, Dashain, the National festival of Nepal, impresses the Bantar  people but they don't put Tika on this occasion. They only perform Durga Pooja with great enthusiasm and eat meat and drink homemade wine and share pleasure of festival in the community. In total, the Bantar community is not poor in the feasts and festival. They are able to identify their own culture by the help of these various festivals. They celebrate many more other festivals in local level. They are Ekadasi, Nagpanchami, Saraswoti Pooja etc.

Gothale

Gothale is also a remarkable festival of the Bantar community, which is celebrated in the full moon day after Vijaya Dashmi. This festival is also known as Kojagrat Purnima. This is basically the festival of foods and drinks. The people of the Bantar community eat the varieties of food and drinks in this day. In this day, the special food named Bagiya made of the flour of rice is prepared by cooking only in steam. The homemade wine (Daru), the item of fish and meat are the popular dishes eaten on this day.

Tihar ( Deewali )

Tihar, in the other term, is called Sukrait or Diwali in the Bantar community. The Bantar of celebrates Tihar probably with greatest importance than any other festival. Tihar occupies probably the most prominent place among the other festivals. This festival is celebrated for five days with different tastes and joys but in the past it was celebrated for one month by eating, dancing and playing.

The houses are polished with different colors and the yard and chowk of village are cleaned and cleared. They save the money for some months ago and store the food, keep and feed the animals like goats and pigs for Tihar.

On the occasion of the festival, the Bantar of this region particularly celebrate Laxmi Pooja, which is also called Deewali. They clean the yard of their houses and keep the surrounding very clean as well. In the evening of the Deewali, they lit the candles and lamps and keep the surrounding artificially bright that's why this festival is also called Deewali, the festifval of light. They worship the Goddess Laxmi who is regarded as the goddess of prosperity. The sweets, fruits, mirror, comb, oil, beetle nut, flowers etc are heartily offered to the goddess. In the same evening, the children make the bundle of straw and jute and lit it the fire in the top of it. Then they run in the filed shouting taking the burning bundle of jute in the great number. This tradition of Children is called Hukka Hukki in their culture. It is believed that Hukka Hukki helps avoid the diseases and insects of the crops and people as well. This festival has agriculture importance as well. The people of Bantar community, on the occasion of this festival, keep all the agricultural materials and weapons together, clean them and worship them with oil, color, and flour etc.

They worship the oxen, give them enough fodder to eat, color their body with different colors. This tradition of the Bantar community is called Pakheb or Gobardhan pooja. Moreover, they make the two crocodiles (dummy) of dung and worship it with flowers, paddy, flour, wine (home made) etc. Then they pretend to beat these crocodiles severely with stick and feel relief as if they are killed. The other tradition is that they cut the paddy of this year and give to the oxen. These all things are done in the next day of Diwali (Laxmi Pooja), which is also known as Jamajitiya.

The next day of Goberdhan pooja is Bhaitika in which day the sisters of Tharu offer tika, the seven coloured colours on the forehead of their brother. But it is said that Bhaitika did not use to be celebrated by them in the past. But, nowadays, the Bantars of are Gradually accepting the Bhaitika being impressed by the tradition of Pahadia, Aryan people.

They celebrate the next day of the Bhaitika as Motamoti. This is the festival of daughters who have been married and gone to their husband's house. The parents invite them to their maternal house. Some brothers are sent to invite sister with packets of Bhuja and Chiura and they give nuts to the sister on the return, the sister gives them some fried rice ‘Bhuja’ which shows the promise to come.

On this occasion the daughters and her husbands are fed with delicious foods and given clothes and other things as per their capacity. The Bantar people mostly serve their guests by home made wine. Almost all the families make the wine in their house in this festival. In this way, the Bantar people celebrate Tihar.

Tila Sankranti ( Maghi )

This festival is celebrated on the day of Makar Sankranti on the 1st day of Magh month every year with great enthusiasm. The Bantar people on this day particularly eat the special type of sweet made of cumin seed (Til), which is also known as laddu and they cook round bread of rice flour, yam, sweet potatoes etc. Meat, fish and wine are the popular food and drink among the Bantar in the festival.

This festival is also the festival of food because they only eat the delicious food, fruits and other foods. The specialty of the day is that the festival of Gerh Maharaj is celebrated on this day. Previously Gerh Maharaj was worshipped during the month of Asadh but as they keep busy in farming, they decided to worship in the first day of Magh. People of Bantar community and Khanar V.D.C. gather in the temple of their humanly god Gerh Maharaj and offer him with laddus, food, fruit and animals sacrifice etc. On the occasion they greet each other and have blessings.

There is a mythological story about Gerh Maharaj. Once some Bantar people had gone for hunting. They killed a wild cow thinking to the deer. As they came to see the wild cow, they worshipped Gerh Maharaj with a wish to be the wild cow changed into any animal and whatever animal it was to be changed, they promised to sacrifice the same animal every year. They covered the head of the wild cow with a piece of cloth. After worshipping, as they removed the cow it was changed into boar. And since then, the Bantar people are offering pig to the Gerh Maharaj on the day of Maghe Sankranti.

Fagu (Holi Festival)

Fagu festival is the festival of colors in Nepalese society. But, this festival occupies the prominent place in the Bantar community as well. This festival is the festival of joy and pleasure. The people from all ages and classes involve in this festival with full vigor and enthusiasm. Fagu festival is celebrated in full moon day of Falgun month. In the Bantar community, it is celebrated for seven days with colors sharing their joy and happiness. This day all the members of the community senior or junior, higher or lower, adult or children take part equally and eagerly in the great festival of colors. They put the colors and play the musical instruments like Dholak and Madal and sing the special type of song among the people. The dance in this festival is very popular and exciting. They share their wishes on the occasion. In fact, this festival is also the festival of spring season, which is the symbol of hope and prosperity.

Superstitions in the Bantar Community

Education plays the vital role to guide the life of the people. But it is already discussed that Bantar Community is one of the backward Communities of Nepal. Similarly, the Bantar people are also mostly illiterate and backward. So, they are severely infected by the sickness of superstitions. The tantra, mantra (divine chant) and magic as well as hypnotism and witch and witch- doctor are such things in Bantar Community, which have dominated almost all aspects of their social life. The existence of ghosts and supernatural things is strongly believed in this community. When someone is ill, the importance of treatment is given to the witch doctor rather than the modern doctors. The need of doctors is always secondary. The role of Dhami (the witch- doctor) is very important in this community.

The Cultural Life of the Bantar

Culture plays the significant role in any community. Basically, cultural legacies are derived from the religion, which the people of the community follow. The traditions, rites and rituals are usually different in the different communities. Similarly, the Bantars have also their own cultures, tradition and rites and rituals. From the birth of a child to the death, various cultural traditions are accomplished in the   community. By this judgment, we come to know that like all other Bantars the cultural life of the people of Bantar community is also not different.

The main cultural rites and rituals exists in the Bantar community are Chhathyar, Chhukta, Marriage and the culture followed after the death of the people in the Bantar community.

Chhathyar ( Chhaiti )

When a child is born, he/she should be made holy by certain custom in the Bantar community. The pregnant woman in the Bantar society usually don't go to the doctors or hospital to give the birth of child. They deliver their babies by the help of Sudeni the traditional assistant woman for delivery in the village. The woman after delivery should not go out side of the house, even outside of the room. In the room where the mother stays, is dark and not so tidy. There in the room where the mother stays, the various things like some small pieces of net, the thorn of the plant berry are kept. Similarly, a weapon from the time of delivery of baby is kept.

After six days of the birth of baby the mother comes out from the room and takes bath, cleans her body and wears new and fresh clothes. The newborn baby is also bathed. Then the nails of the mother and child are cut well. The mother wears new clothes, put oil in hair and goes to the well or tube well to pray to the God with Flower, sindoor and other materials.

In this way, the newborn baby is prayed to the god and made holy by the certain costumes and religious process in the Bantar community in the sixth day of his/her birth. 

The remarkable point in the Bantar community is that there is not any tradition of 'Nwaran' the naming ceremony to keep the name of the newborn baby. They keep the name of their babies on the 6th day of the birth by their own elder one.

There is not any tradition or culture of keeping the name of baby. It is done randomly by judging the contemporary geographical situation and climate, the name of day of month etc. Usually they keep the name of their babies by the name of the days like the baby who is born in Tuesday is Mangal, Wednesday is Budhan or Budhani etc. One who is born in raining time is given the name 'Muri' the baby born in Bhadra month is Bhadu etc.

There is not any system of judging or watching the day or name of baby by the astronomer or priest. Nowadays the Bantar people are also impressed by the so- called modernity. Therefore, they have begun to keep the modern and easy names as well. They have started to call the priest from the Aryan Brahmin community also. The situation has been changed. The way of life of the Bantar has also been impressed by the culture of Brahmin– Chhettri families.

 So they have also begun to give the modern names to their children in the naming ceremony.

Chhukti (Pasni)

Particularly the Bantars in Morang perform Chhukta as the ceremony of feeding to the baby. But some Bantars have this ritual. In fact, the Bantar community performs this ritual before the baby becomes six months old. On this day, the relatives of the family are invited and the feast is organized for them. They eat, drink and enjoy. The baby who is going to be six month old is fed soft food like rice.

Marriage Ceremony

The arrange marriage and love or self-marriage are the main two types of marriage which are very common in the Bantar community. The marriages like exchange marriage and force marriage are also found in the community but such marriages are quite rare and not formal in the society. The arrange marriage is the most common marriage in the Bantar community. But it is not true that there is not the existence of other type of marriage. Nowadays, the love or self-marriage is also found in the community and it is getting new height in the society. The Bantars usually marry from their own caste because they think themselves senior or higher than the other in their community. If one marries with the girl of the other caste that is regarded as the inter-caste marriage. When the boy becomes marriageable he searches the girls in his community. Usually the girls are selected in the bazaar or in the social functions etc. The selection of the girl can be done by the close relatives or neighbor as well. The person who plays the role of mediator between the families of the boy and the girl is called ' laaran '. But sometimes the guardians of girl also search the suitable candidate for their daughter or sister. The four stages of the marriage are discussed below.

Dekhasuni

This is the first stage of the marriage. The process of selecting the suitable candidates for a marriage is in Bantar culture is called ' Dekhasuni'.  The literal meaning of  ' Dekhasuni' is to watch the marriageable candidates conforming the date of visiting. Mostly, 'Laran' the mediator manages the favourable environment to the guardians of the girls and boys to visit and talk. In this stage the selection of the candidates is confirmed.

Sahakati

This is another process of marriage. In fact, the guardians of the girl and boy confirm the marriage and fix the date of marriage in this occasion. This process of the marriage is like the engagement ceremony. The relatives of both girl and boy are invited in the ceremony and the party is organized. In this occasion, the confirmation of the marriage is disclosed among them. Moreover, some people from girl side go to the boy's house and offer a saucer of nut, sweets, bananas and other fruits and money as well to the boy. The people from boy side also go to the girl's house and offer the same things. In this way the date of marriage is confirmed in the community of the Bantar.

Tikabhar

Usually, the day before the marriage ceremony of the early morning of the date of marriage ceremony the people from the bridegroom side come to the bride's house taking the various clothes and ornaments to the bride according to the capacity of him. Similarly, the same people return back to bridegroom's house by taking curd and bananas as the symbol of approval and harmony. After this ceremony the marriage procession is confirmed to come to the bride's house.

The Marriage Ceremony

According to the tradition of the people of Bantar, some women, the day before the date of marriage, go to the place of mango tree and go round it three times by taking flour, sindoor and raw-thread. These women are called Bidhakarani. Then, the bridegroom also put color in the same mango tree three times. This process of marriage is called Aam Bihabe Gaile or the marriage with mango tree. The bride’s side follows the same process too. Then, in the date of marriage people of bridegroom and bride in their own respective houses roast the paddy in the certain pot. To roast the paddy, they use the fire oven made of mud. Particularly, the sisters and brothers-in-law in both houses roast the paddy. While roasting the paddy, which is called Lawa, the young girls and boys enjoy by telling jokes.

            After this process, the time of marriage procession comes to get to the bride's house. The priest fixes the time and the bridegroom becomes ready to go to the bride's house. Before his departure he wears dhoti and karat and put turban on his head, eyes are blackened with kajal the black liner and unlike Tharu the bridegroom does not carry the sword.

            According to the tradition of marriage ceremony of Bantar the bridegroom sits in side the box like cradle made of wooden, this box in Bantar culture, is called Kharkhari. Two or four men from the bridegroom’s house to the bride’s house carry it. The other people of the procession follow the bridegroom by sitting in carts, which are pulled by Oxen. In the marriage procession, the band of local traditional music is also invited in the ceremony. The old, adult and children all participate in the procession.

Nowadays, the Bantar culture has also been affected by the so-called modernity or by the culture of the Chhetri and Bramhan. So the Bantars are gradually changing their traditional cultural legacies. The bridegrooms have begun to wear suits like coat, pant shirt and tie etc. The use of Kharkari (Traditional carrier of bridegroom) is no more in vogue but they use car and bus etc in the marriage procession.

When the bridegroom reaches in the house of the bride, he should not enter directly in to the yard. He along with his friends are warmly welcomed and told to sit in the guest room. As the fine women who are called Bidhakarani in the Bridgroom's side play the vital role. Similarly the same number of women is responsible to conduct all the process of marriage in the bride's house. These five women take the bridegroom inside the mandap, which is called Maruwa in their language. Maruwa is of straw and other things. In the Mandap, there are priests, the parents or guardians of the bride and the five Bidhkarani women.

A special thing in Bantar community is that the people of bridegroom have to make fire, which is called Aag Uthni. In this, few people rub two dry bamboo sticks together keeping some dry grass in it. Until the fire is made, no ceremony can be begun. After making fire, they lit yagya, cook prasad and other food as well. This unique system is being carried out even at present.

The priest begins the marriage process by reciting the chants. He utters the name of the forefathers of bride and bridegroom. The parents or guardians of the bride give the hand of her to the hand of the bridegroom taking Kush (the special kind of grass) barley green grass (dubo) paddy etc Then the bridegroom puts Sindoor on the head of the bride and they both have to go round the Maruwa  (mandap) seven times in the central witness of burning fire. After this process, the bridegroom is brought in another room called Kohabar, which is made of bamboo and straw and artificially decorated and carved with the traditional images in the wall. The bridegroom, in this room puts the sindoor on the head of the bride. He has to stay in that room for that night alone.

The next day of the marriage, the newly married couple has to go to visit the local temple of the village, which is called gram than. The bride and bridegroom pour the roasted paddy on the temple and they together go round the temple three times. Then they come back to the house and sit in Maruwa. The elders and the kith and kin of the family give the blessing and gift to the newly married couple. Only then they are bid farewell. The relatives and friends of the bride give accompany to her to reach at the house of the bridegroom. These people who accompany the bride are called 'Saryati'. The relatives of the bride transport the dowry and the gifts of the bride. In this way the marriage ceremony in the Bantar community comes to an end.

Widow Marriage in the Bantar Community

The widow marriage has got the social approval in the Bantar community. The society has given the social right for the widows to marry with another person when their husband dies. After the death of the husband of the young women in the Bantar community she can marry with another person. Such widow marriage in Morang and Sunsari District is called 'Kriha Biha'. Whereas it is called 'Chumounke' in Saptari, Siraha and Udaypur. The name of the widow marriage can be different from one place to another.

            The widow in the Bantar community herself proposes to her brother in law to marry with her. If he does not accept her proposal then she can marry with another man. Her mother- in -law and father- in- law send the widow to her new husband's house like their own daughter. But the first priority is given to the brother- in -law so that the prestige of the family cannot go out. From the point of view of humanity the widow marriage occupies the benevolent quality in the society. So far as the other community in the society is concerned the widow marriage is very rare or is strictly restricted. The Bantar society has accepted the widow marriage as the essential part of their society. Regarding the widows this society ha been found liberal in some cases. Because they permit and even manage the happy life of the women after the death of her husband as well.

The Death Rites

When one dies, According to the Hindu culture, it is believed that if the traditional rites and rituals are accomplished on the death of any member of the community, his or her soul will rest in peace in the heaven. The Bantar people also believe on the same faith and carry out the rites and rituals when one dies. But rites and rituals carried out by the Bantar people are slightly different from one place to another. Similarly the Bantars have also their own cultural and religious rites and rituals. Some Bantars bury the dead body according to their custom whereas others burn it in the pyre.

If any member of the Bantar community dies, all the relatives and the villagers assemble on the spot. Then, the dead body if it is inside the room, is carried outside on the open yard. The yard should be cleaned and the dung of the cow is pasted on the yard so that it becomes holy. According to the culture, the dead body should be placed in the position of the north to the south direction. Bathing cleans the dead body and the ghee is put on it, then the dead body is wrapped in the white piece of cloth. If the dead body is of the married woman, it is decorated with the bangles, sindoor, tika etc. All the relatives of the dead person greet the dead body by offering the holy water and the coins. To carry dead body the green bamboo is cut and carrier is made with a roof on which the body is kept. When the dead body is kept on the carrier it is covered by the yellow piece of cloth, tied the body with the rope and lifted it by two or four people on their shoulders and carried to the place where the body is to burn down. The dead body is covered by flowers and colors mainly the body should be carried by the sons of the dead person; otherwise the other people take the responsibility.

Then, the pyre is made where the dead body is kept. Before making the pyre the place, which is chosen to born the dead body, some people dig the ground and they erect a small pillar of wood. In the four corners they put shell 'Kauda' and one rupee and 25 paisa to buy the place.  The pyre is made of wood and timber on which the dead body is kept. The people offer flower and barely etc. on the mouth of the dead person. Then moving round the pyre three times the eldest or youngest son sets the fire.

When the body burnt and becomes the ash, all the people who are the participant of the funeral rite, should take bathe and come back to home offering some firewood from the back. Then all the relatives and the participants eat the food without salt and oil etc. Particularly, they eat yogurt and beaten rice in that morning and evening. Three days later, the place where the body was burnt, is visited once again by the sons and relatives of the dead person. The remnant of the ash is collected and made a small pile make small holes and fills with milk. If the milk becomes red it is believed as the sign of love. After six days, the close relatives of the dead person go to the nearest river or pond and offer mustard. On 12th day the final works are done. In the evening they eat some meat or fish or they can't eat the meat for a year. The priest is made to the nephew of the dead one. The final rite is completed on the 11th month.

Social Condition of Bantar Community

To talk of social condition of Bantar community, we find some of the distinct features on their tradition, values and norms. There are some particulars characteristics and things represent the Bantar community, especially their habit, attitude, dresses, ornament and jewels, celebration, cereals and eatables, occupation or business, celebration of festival and small but artistic house   etc. Some of the main features of the Bantar community are mentioned in the following topics.

Physical Structure

Most of the Bantars are black and some of them are of olive color also. They are of middle height, pointed nose, thin hair and tight body. Because of their parts of body they seem laborious farmer. Generally they are simple, peaceful, helpful and intelligent. It seems that they are far form the so-called rush and run of modern society. They are away from the selfish motive of urban area.

So far as their physical fitness is concerned, females are more beautiful than males. Though they pointed nose and they are of middle height and of same face color, their physical structure is attractive. One can view their beauty in their simplicity delicacy and helpful behavior.

Structure of House

Generally the Bantar makes storeyless houses made of bamboo, wood soil and jute straw, title of tin is used to make roof. They keep a place in front of their houses, which is used to prepare agricultural product and to take evening rest as well. They erect two flags in the yard. They make one separate room for their guest, which is called ' Sirdwar' or Bashghara. They make 'Guhali' to provide shelter for their cattle. The windows of their houses are small. They draw the beautiful and artistic picture on the walls of their; houses. Though their houses are made of soil, they highly pay attention on clean environment, especially around their house. Some of the Bantars have also made two storey houses made of wood that is called ' Domahala' in their language. We don't find systematic settlement because it seems very dense. But it is interesting to note that there is no any clasp in the name of land or boarder. They don't want to live alone. In the past, they used to love in joint family but with the passage of time their thinking has changed. In these days, most of them want to stay in single family but they don't make their separate house far from main house ( mulghar).

They keep their own deities, which is called 'Dewata ghar' Since the floor of their house is very clean, they generally sleep on the floor. One notable feature is that they highly respect their guest. In conclusion, we can say that they have not applied scientific method to make their house rather they have used domestic method to sustain their life.

Eatables and Utensils (Household Article)

The Bantars of this community are not different in their food and drink. They have rice, Daal, and curry. But their longing for fish and meat, is notable. They take beaten rice, bread, dried rice etc. as their breakfast. They prepare specific food on their special occasion. First Baishak, for instance, is celebrated as ' Siruwa Pawan'. They observe this festival with bread (selroti) beaten rice, meat wine (home made wine) etc. Similarly they celebrate shree panchami with Malpuwa special food made for this day. At time they prepare baiya Bahakka (a king of bread). They welcome their guest mostly with fish, meat and wine, So they rear goats, he-goats, chickens, pigeon, duck, pig etc.

To cook food they use traditional oven. They use ' Guitha' as a fuel for fire. Their utensils are of aluminum and steel. But the utensils made of silver, copper, glass and bronze are also found in rich families. Deckchi and Handi made of aluminum are used to cook rice, lohia (pan), Puniu (table spoon) , Dabbu ( pot) to cook curry and Ghaila ( water carrying pot ) is used to bring water. Food is served in Thari (rice serving plate) made of steel.

Dresses

To talk of the dresses of the Bantar, we find originality. It is in the sense that they mostly follow the traditional dresses so far as their dress is concerned they seem far from modernization. But it is wrong to say that young generation is not impressed by the modern dresses. Old people mostly wear Dhoti, Kurta, and Kamiz. Some put on Pyjama, Kurta (Loose track) also. Their dresses clearly make them different from other castes. Mainly female are unknown to modern dresses. They put on ' Anchara' Khadki' made from an artistic knitting. They put on blouse but not that of modern style. They like to decorate them with white 'Anchara' and red blouse. The female of this locality are remarkable in hair make-up called Jurokhopa in their costumes. They mostly use oil to make the two folds of hair. They do not run after beauty parlor as modern women do. Their traditional skill is sufficient for them.

Ornaments

A woman by nature is fond of beauty she wants to decorate her as much as possible. So, the importance of ornaments has never decreased. Most of the females of this community put on ornaments made of silver. They emphasize not on the price or value of ornaments but on the weight of ornaments. So they put on heavy chain made of silver rather than the thin one, made of gold.

            In the past, male also used to put on ornaments but that tradition is not longer now. Other important ornament of female Bantars are Bindiya (on head), Nathiya (on nose), Top (on ear), Kanoushi (on the upper part of ear) Kanbajaha is also one of the ornaments of ear. They put on Housali  (1 to 1.5 kg) Channar Har (Chain), Takka Har (made of old silver coin) around the throat. They like to decorate their legs with Pairi, Kara, and Payal. But with the passage of time, some old ornaments are no longer in existence now. Similarly, old females make Godana (tattoos on the arm) but it is rare in young generation. In conclusion, we can say that wearing ornaments gives them immense pleasure. So they are decorated with their own ornaments.

The economic status of Bantar Women

Under this title, the economic status of Bantar Women of Ithari-9 has been studied. The whole economic factors cannot be studied in detail. Thus, the particular aspects like occupation, jointure, some other economic resources have been studied.

In Bantar community, even males have low economic income. They depend as peasants, farm workers and labourers. Nowadays, the males are found doing some other works like driver, rickshaw puller, push cart puller, factory workers and so on. Previously, there were a lot of rich Bantars but gradually they finished their properties in drinking and relaxing. As they are poor, they are forced to live in small houses and have less source of income. On the another hand, females are also in bad condition regarding earning money. They have to go to work in site if they are free. Even they can go to work in farm as co-workers. This is also not regular. Because it is seasonal and they get such works during the months of Asadh, Shrawn and Kartik, Mansir. As they don’t get enough source of income, they have to depend on their husband for financial help. Some women are found doing certain works like growing vegetables and selling it, animal husbandry and so on.

Bantar Women in Animal Husbandry:

            Animal husbandry was one of the major professions of Bantar in the past. Bantar women were found engaged in animal husbandry as well. They were found keeping goat, pig, cows, buffaloes as well as they keep hen, duck, pigeon and they got some financial income as well. Those Bantar women were really found very much busy taking care of those tamed animals and birds. Out of the respondents about 22% of them responded positively and they pointed out that it has good future also.

Bantar Women in Business and Skill Based Earning:

            Some respondents were found doing some kind of business like keeping small shop of tea, pulse, small hotel business etc. those women were found earning money regularly. But only few women were found involved in such profession. Only about 14% women of the respondents were found doing same kind of business. The urbanization of Ithari really has brought some changes in economic status of the women.

Property Right before Marriage for Bantar Women:

            In Bantar Community, due to poverty, whatever they earn they give to their parents. Bantar women don’t keep jointure but the women of tharu community do. Tharu women are free to keep jointure even before marriage also. Although the government has imposed the law for property right but Banter Women are from the poor family and thus, there is less effectiveness of the law. So far as the Bantar women of Ithari-9 are concerned, they at least earn some money and solve the economic problem. They don’t have enough income to keep for the future.

Property Right after Marriage for Bantar Women:

            After marriage Bantar women have no right to keep property with them. They are deprived of such facilities. Due to which they are exploited and suppressed in the family. In Ithari-9, Bantar women are not found keeping the property even before and after marriage.

            Regarding keeping property in the name of females, only few % (30%) of respondents responded positively whereas 70% of women responded that there was no property in the name of females nor there was any trend of keeping property in the name of females.

Some economic changes in Bantar Women

            Bantar community is known as poor community living near forest and maintained their life working in the field and working as land labourers. Not only that their poverty is really forcing them backward day by day.

            But so far as the women are concerned, their economic status is being changed day by day. They are day by day being financially strong. They are found depositing some money in certain cooperatives running in the society. By selling animals and by other way of earning they have been able to be somehow economically strong. The previous condition of the Bantar women has been changed. Due to urbanization, women are getting some earning opportunity and improving their economic status. It can be said that in the days to come they will be fully independent and will be able to give good future for their upcoming upspring. Not only that, it was found that the women will be able to change their life in the changing passage of time. They are day by day getting more and more opportunities and being able to earn some money. This trend is marching towards development and they will be able to wipe out their poverty if they continue working and earning for the family. They need the support of their husband as well.

            Thus, whatever situation they have come from their past, that is changing gradually. The modernization has really brought a great change and it will continue in the days to come also. It can be said that the economic condition of women is improving. They won’t have to fully depend on their husbands. Rather they can be independent and lead the community towards prosperity.

There is no similarity in the opinions of the scholars regarding the origin of the Bantar. Some of the scholars argue that they are from Aryan origin whereas some of them say that the Bantars are form Mangolian origin. The Bantars are the native people of Nepal who seem the real inhabitant of the Terai and interior Terai of Nepal. Out of total population of Nepal 0.16 percent of the people in Nepal are Bantar. The Bantar by nature are very simple, honest and straightforward.

The Bantars don't have any division of class as in so called Hindu costumes. There is not any existence of touch – ability or untouchability in the Bantar community. The society is traditional as well as very illiterate.   

The Bantar people have their own language that is almost similar to Maithili, Bhojpuri and Avadhi but so far as the Banters are concerned, they think that their language is purely Bantar and it is distinct form Maithili, Bhojpuri and others. But the fact is that the Bantar language is the mixture of various local languages as well as the national language. The Bantar, in total, are illiterate but they are quite conscious about the importance of the education. Almost maximum children in the community are going to school on these days.

So far as the Bantars are concerned, they are quite straightforward and honest as well as simple in nature. They are Laborious and dedicated to their work and duty. They have their own cultural life and social norms and values. They live in the community and share their hands among their own people. The Marriage ceremony and other tribal tradition are their own properties. The major two types of marriages prevalent in their community are arranged and love marriage. They have their own marriage costumes but it is being vanished form their own community because of the aggression of the so-called sophisticated and advanced castes and varnas (Colour of skin) in the society.

The Bantars in this region speak their own language but they equally speak the National language Nepali as well. The language of Bantar also doesn't seem similar in all aspects spoken in the different places so far as the accent and the tone of the language is concerned, it can be slightly different among the Bantars of many places.

The Bantars are honest and devoted to the religion. They have strong faith on existence of God. They follow Hinduism and worship the various Gods and Goddesses. They worship their own traditional family deities and they worship the nature, its mystery and supernatural things as well. They perform many rites and rituals from birth to death as the essential part of their social and cultural life.

The Bantar celebrates their own festivals and functions. They share their happiness and pleasure with each other. The main festivals celebrated by the Bantar are Tihar, Maghi, Siruwa, Phagu, Jitiya and Ekadashi.

The various rites and rituals performed by the peoples of Bantar community are Chhathyar, Chhukta etc. They have their own family deities. There is not the particular naming ceremony in their community. The Bantar people look like Caucasian in their appearance. They are mostly black and rarely fair in their complexion. They have robust body and tight physical fitness. The Bantar women wear their own traditional ornaments and dresses. But nowadays, they are being impressed by the so called modernity and diverted to the new fashion of dressing and ornaments. Their original tribal identity is going to be vanished. Only the Bantar women are more or less able to preserve their original costumes. But the new generation girls mostly wear Kurta-salwar. Their favorite ornaments, which reflect their costumes or tradition, are made of silver rather than gold.

The Bantar people in this region are quite illiterate. But the new generation has been sent to school for their basic education. The children have got good opportunities to go to school in the community. The women, in comparison with the men are quite backward and depressed also.

The Bantar community is not free from the social evils like child marriage, polygamy, religious superstitions etc. The society is severely infected by the blind belief and superstitions. Because of the lack of the education and social awareness, the advancement of their community is blocked and lagged behind. The fact is true that the culture and the social values are the real identity of any community. Therefore the cultural legacies and social identity should be preserved. Moreover the language spoken by the people in the particular community is the factor, which denotes either the community is dead or alive.

In total, it can be said the culture of the nation is the overall combination of various caste and creeds, their religion and religious activities, rites and rituals, language and use of language, social etiquette, the feast and festivals etc. These all things of the various castes and creeds in Nepal form the structure of the society and the identity of the nation. If the particular creed loses its cultural legacies, it will lose its identity and existence. Similarly, if there is not the distinct identity of the culture and cultural life, the nation also loses its identity. So, to preserve the national existence, the culture should be preserved.For it, the nation itself should be active and initiative not to let the cultures of various castes and creeds vanish.

The Bantar culture also is an essential part of the Nepalese national culture. The cultural life of Bantar is more or less affected by the geography, climate and many other external and internal factors. It has its own essence and color. As Nepal is a beautiful garden, the Bantar creed and their culture is also a flower, which has been blooming in the garden for the time immemorial. It has been in existence with its own unique variety of culture. In fact the culture should be updated according to the need of time and situation. The Bantar culture seems quite conservative and some of their cultural activities are expensively lengthy and clumsy as well. Such backwardness should be rectified and only then the Bantar culture can be very popular and relevant to the need of time and situation.

The people of Bantar community are quite superstitious, unnecessarily blind to the religion and they don't have any faith on the modern science and technology. So the backwardness should be overcome by the continuous effort. The scientific environment should be developed in the place of the superstition and illiteracy.

The education is the basic element of the advance society. It plays the vital role for the overall development of the people in the community. Therefore, for the upliftment of the educational status of the Bantar people, special educational program should be implemented. They should be encouraged to go to school and to send their children to school.

The reservation seats should be managed for the children of the Bantar community in the school and they should be imparted the scholarship for the further studies.

The skilled based and skill development educational and technical educational programs should be launched in the community. So far as the Bantar community is concerned, they are quite backward and poor in economic status. To uplift their cultural life, the economic condition of them should be improved.

The Bantar community is infected by some social evils like superstitions, over confidence in religion, the expensive and clumsy social rites and rituals etc. They are quite conservative and unscientific in their attitude, thought and idea. Therefore, the change is necessary in this field in the Bantar community.

The Bantar language is depresses and under developed condition. The folk songs and literature of Bantar are going to be extinct. Therefore, to develop the Bantar language and to preserve their folk culture, the local government as well as concerned departments should take the interest and enhance the folk songs and literature of Bantar.