A national level census, which is conducted every decade, is a very, very important exercise. It is on the basis of facts and figures collected during a national census that plans and policies, which shape the future course of a country, are formulated. In the context of Nepal, the upcoming census means a lot because Nepal has gone through many political upheavals in the past decade and the document is expected to reflect as closely as possible what effect it has had on the people and the nation as a whole.
Since 2001, when the last national census was conducted, Nepal has been declared a secular country, the monarchy has been abolished and we have seen the dramatic rise of indigenous and ethnic communities. We also saw the most lethal attacks by the Maoists against the state during this period displacing hundreds and thousands of Nepalis from their villages and hometowns. How has all this affected the attitudes and mindsets of Nepali citizens? How has internal and external migration, primarily because of the bloody conflict leading to sluggish economic growth, changed the demography of Nepal’s urban and rural areas? These are some of the questions to which the answers are expected to come from the 2011 census.
What is equally worth noting this time compared to when the last census was held is that enumerators can go to every nook and cranny of the country and carry on their work without any fear. This was impossible during the last census because we were then in the middle of a bloody insurgency. This is also another reason why this census is expected to reflect a better picture of the various aspects of our country.
But before enumerators actually go on the ground to collect data, it would serve us well if we could educate the people about the importance of this exercise. Most Nepalis still do not understand how the information that they provide would eventually impact their lives. Hence, they must be told through sensitization campaigns carried out through the media and local-level programs about its significance. If this can be done, we will have yet another reason to believe that the 2011 census will indeed give us an accurate picture of our people and society.
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