A national census, which is conducted every 10 years, is a very important exercise because the data collected acts as a guide to formulate future policies and programs. Hence, it is imperative that the census is carried out in a scientific manner and the room for error during the entire exercise is as minimum as possible. The past censuses have often been charged with being faulty and providing an incorrect picture of many aspects of our society.
Census 2011 holds special significance because in the past decade Nepal has gone through a sea change: A Hindu country has become secular, monarchy has been abolished, we witnessed the Maoists’ most violent offensive against the state post-2001 and, among others, saw the dramatic rise of indigenous and ethnic groups during this period. How has all this changed the mindsets and attitudes of Nepalis? How has internal and external migration, primarily because of the bloody conflict, changed the demography of Nepal’s urban and rural areas? These are questions that beg answers from the upcoming census. And we expect it to provide us nothing but a true picture of the changes.
One of the most important steps that need to be taken in order to make the 2011 census a fruitful exercise is to educate the people about its importance before enumerators actually go on the ground to collect data. Most Nepalis still do not understand how the information that they provide would eventually impact their lives. They must be made aware through sensitization campaigns – which should begin immediately – carried out through the media and local-level programs on its significance. If that can be done, we might finally be able to come up with a truer and a holistic picture of our society from this humongous exercise.
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