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Bhutan's Ethnic Groups Monpa |
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Bhutan Information |
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| Wangdue and Trongsa Dzongkhags |
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| A glimpse into the Monpa community |
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The
Monpas have been pushed to the hinter-land of the remote Black Mountain
forests today but they were here before the founders of modern Bhutan built
dzongs in the valleys of Paro, Bumthang and Thimphu, says a study on the
Monpa community, conducted by two Sherubtse College graduates under the
research grant of the UNFPA.
"The
Monpas kept themselves uninfluenced by the 2,000 year-old mainstream culture
of Bhutan," according to the researchers, Sonam Dendup and Pema Chhoedup. Monpas inhabit Mangdue and Wangdue valleys in central Bhutan and are often
considered the first inhabitants of Bhutan. |
They
are different from the Monpas of Tawang in Arunahal Pradesh. "The term
Monpa once came to mean little more than southern or western mountain dwelling
non-Indian non-Tibetan barbarian. Not only the language but some of the
social institutions peculiar to them and their dependence on forest for
livelihood served to link them to the forest dwellers of Kumuan and Nepal
and Nagas, Kukis and Mismis etc. of north eastern Himalaya," says the report.
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| About
the Monpas |
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Monpas
occupy Jangbi, Wangling and Phumzur villages under Lhangthel gewog in Trongsa
Dzongkhag and Rukha village (locally known as Oalay and hence Oalaps) in
Adha gewog in Wangdi Dzongkhag. The former pocket has a population of about
200 with 38 households and the later has a population of about 108 with
12 households.
The two groups are not in direct touch with each other.
According to the report there are 944.4 males per 1000 females in the Monpas
villages of Trongsa and 951.7 males per 1,000 females in Oalay village
in Wangdi.
Age-wise distribution of Monpa population shows that a majority
of them fall under the age group of 15-29 with 65 persons followed by 54
persons in the age group below seven years. The average household size
is 8.8.
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| Education
and economy |
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The
educational attainment of Monpas is very minimal with only 15 who had monastic
education and 34 who have access to modern education, including the school
going children. All the 34 come from the Monpa villages of Trongsa. Formal
education started only in 1996. "Interestingly, there are more females
(17) going to school as compared to males (14)," says the report.
The
report also says that with the increasing exposure to the outside world
there now has started a new trend of out migration. In all, 15 people have
already migrated from Monpa villages to the other parts of the country
for employment opportunities, monastic education opportunities and marriage
links established outside their villages.
Traditionally,
Monpas engaged themselves in weaving bamboo and cane products. They started
shifting cultivation and recently switched to agriculture. Today, a majority
of the Monpas engage in farming (165 out of 206 working population). Thirty
three are engaged in weaving, five work as labourers and three are employed
in government jobs.
Cane
and bamboo form the most important raw materials. Bamboo is used in a variety
of purposes as building material, weaving material, for making mats and
pots for carrying water and storing milk. Young shoots of bamboo and cane
are also consumed. The shoots are also used in making ropes and as fodder.
"Owing to the over-exploitation of bamboo forests, Monpas today travel
more than six hours to obtain the raw materials. The Monpas of Trongsa
travel to 19 different places to fetch bamboo and cane. Now there is a
gradual disappearance of bamboo forests," says the report.
Wheat,
Maize, Buckwheat and Mustard are the main produce of Jangbi and Wangling
while households in Oalay and Phumzur grow paddy. The average land holding
per household is three acres. "Nevertheless 27 out of 35 sample households
depend on market for the food grains," says the report.
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| Monpas
communities |
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According
to the report Monpas are a close-knit community. They live and work in
groups and have joint family system. Family decisions are usually made
by the male head of the family. In the absence of the male family head,
the decision might be taken by the female family head. At times this is
done collectively.
Bonism was the main religion before the advent of Buddhist doctrines. But they
still remain the faithful adherents of the former. "The Monpas of Trongsa do have the stories of Guru Padmasambhava who they claim visited their
place on the way to Bumthang via Nabgikorphu. But their faith on Bonism
remained undeterred," say the researchers. Altars are almost absent in
all the Monpas households. Animal sacrifice was practiced until recently
during the Bon rituals though this practice is today substituted by offerings
of boiled eggs. "Now more and more of them are converting themselves into
Buddhists with quite a few of them joining the monastic body as Gyalongs
and Gomchens. Recently one Lhakhang has been constructed in Jangbi village by them," says the report.
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| Ecomic
and social changes |
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The
Monpas had their own dress called 'Pangay' which is now being replaced
by the national dress. Their language, Monkha, doesn't resemble any other
languages in the country though it has roots in the Tibeto-Burman family
like other languages of Bhutan. "Today, due to the cultural influence posed
by the outside regions their language is facing a big threat of extinction.
In Oalay only one woman speaks the language fluently. However, all Monpas
in Trongsa speak Monkha," say the researchers.
Monpas
parents do not play any role in the marital decisions of their children.
They have equal preference for both male and female child, though some
would prefer daughters as they would remain at their parents' home after
the marriage. Boys go to their in-laws' place.
Most
Monpas still prefer traditional practices to cure sickness. Superstitious
and orthodox in nature, the Monpas believe that their cause of sickness
is not exactly due to their poor health, sanitation and hygiene but due
to evil spirits and bad Karma. "But it is encouraging to note that more
and more of them are turning to modern medical amenities. They also have
started adopting family planning measures," says the report.
Monpas
are no longer hunters and food gatherers. They are witnessing tremendous
economic and social changes. Today, 14 households have access to proper
toilets, 31 households have safe drinking water and 16 households have
expanded their agriculture activities. They are also concerned about their
fast depleting bamboo forests. But the forest cover around Oalay is rapidly
recovering as they have done away with the practice of shifting cultivation.
"Road, electricity and proper irrigation facilities are some of the expectations
these people have now. In Oalay people do not even use Kerosene. They entirely
depend on resin," the researchers say.
"This section of Bhutan's society
has the least education of all the Bhutanese people and they are among
the poorest. They seem to have no development, no school and no hospital.
Though the royal government is bringing them to the national mainstream
their survival as an indigenous community would be meaningful and possible
only if we allow it to grow with its own intrinsic worth," the report concludes.
This
article was contributed by KUENSEL, Bhutan's National Newspaper
February
2002 |
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