Kathmandu, Sept. 23: The cases of murders within families have increased more than double in the fiscal year 2077/78 in comparison to the fiscal year 2076/77.

Basanta Bahadur Kunwar, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), cases of murders within families on the fiscal year 2077/78 stands at 409 and was 201 in the fiscal year 2076/77.

“This is more than double the cases that previous year.” He said. According to the report obtained from Nepal Police, the number of murder cases recorded in 2076/77 and 2077/78 in all provinces has increased as well.

The report read that 94 cases of murders within the family have been recorded in Province 1, 73 in Province 2, 43 in Bagmati Province, 34 in Gandaki Province, 99 in Lumbini Province, 28 in Karnali Province, and 26 in Sudur Paschim Province and 12 in the Kathmandu Valley in the fiscal year 2077/78.

“In the fiscal year 2076/77, 37 cases of murders within the family have been recorded in Province 1, 47 in Province 2, 34 in Bagmati Province, 13 in Gandaki Province, 40 in Lumbini Province, 11 in Karnali Province, and 17 in Sudur Paschim Province and 2 in the Kathmandu Valley in the fiscal year 2076/77, said Kunwar.”

Changing family structures weaken family norms inviting murder within families

Sociologists have stressed that the increase in the cases of murders within families is because of the change in the social structure of the country.

Mrigendra Bahadur Karki Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Central for Nepal and Asian Studies (CNAS), said that there is a change in societal structure and way of living in Nepali people this has resulted in a change in family structure, weakened family bond and the role and aspirations within the family.

“In the context of Nepal, social and family structure are changing. Family, which was based on agriculture has now changed into a consumerism family, thereby, shifting family relations from centre to peripheral. This has given scope for each individual to be an active agent who has varied opinions, aspirations, and wants,” said Karki.

However, when the values and wants of an individual crash with the norm of family, then the individual opt to wipe out the reason which is contracting its wants, such as in the Sankhuwasabha case, the accused murdered the whole family as he wanted to erase the source, his uncle, which was trying to amend his way of life.

According to Tika Ram Gautam, Assistant Professor at the Department of Sociology, T.U, Nepal is now turning into a developing country, which has changed the way of life and interpersonal interactions. As modernization and consumerism have progressed in-country, individual wants and needs have shifted and family is no longer the centre of an individual’s life.