Tribal Botes search gold in sand to pay festival debts

By Amar Raj Naharki

Tanahun, Nov. 2: Mekh Lal Bote, 57, of Vyas Municipality in Tanahun has gone to the river bank to search for gold in the sand to pay off the load taken to celebrate Dashain and Tihar.

Like Mekh Lal, the people of the Bote community of Kumaltari, Upper Bote village located in Vyas Municipality-10, have gone to the river bank to search for gold.

Most of the farmers in the area, who are in poor financial condition, celebrate the festival by taking loans from moneylenders to buy meat, salt, oil, and children's clothes during Dashain and Tihar. But that debt is paid by selling the gold found in the sand.

Mekh Lal said that he went to look for gold in the river bank because he had a loan of Rs. 30,000 taken to celebrate Dashain. But now he is worried about how to pay the loan as it is difficult to find the gold as the crusher industry lift the sand piled up on the river banks.

"It is an old custom to celebrate two major festivals by taking a loan from a moneylender and paying off by selling the gold found on the bank of the rivers. Searching for gold in the sand is the traditional occupation of marginalized Bote communities.

Asmita Bote of the same place informed that those who can work carry clothes and cooking utensils, pots and pans and set up tents on the banks of the river and go in search of gold while leaving the elders and children at home. Most of the families in the community have been earning their livelihood by farming during summer and searching for gold in the river during the winter. 

Som Maya Bote informed that there has been a trend of searching for gold on the banks of the river with gold-mining materials from November to May. 

According to Som Maya, since raw gold is found in the sand of Kali Gandaki, Budhi Gandaki, Masryangdi and Trishuli, they go to the banks of these rivers in search of gold. There are altogether 40 households in the Bote community in the area and most of them have continued their gold mining occupation. 

Phul Maya Bote informed that rivers like Sunkoshi, Karnali, and Mahakali are rich in gold but it costs more to go there. In the Kumaltari area, there are 90 households of Bote including Pakhe Bote and Paani Bote.

Pakhe Bote make their living by fishing, while Paani Bote make their living by gold mining.  Suk Maya Bote informed that they are going to look for gold soon after Dashain, but this year they started their work after Tihar as there was continuous rainfall during Dashain.

Hari Sharan Pandit, the former headmaster of Chandi Devi National Secondary School located near the community, said that the local Chandi Devi National Secondary School and Shiva Secondary School are developing in terms of educational awareness, but the Bote community is lagging behind because they are more traditional.