The Botes, who have been traditionally living by ferrying locals in boat, have lost their age-old profession due to construction of bridges at different points of the river and expansion of modern transportation network.
In the lack of alternatives, many men have left for India in search of menial jobs after facing difficulty to support their families. Others have gone to towns like Butwal and Tansen for daily wages, leaving 25 Bote households in the village without men.
“More than 150 persons used to use boats daily until around two years ago and more than a dozen Bote men had jobs. But now the number of passengers hardly reach 15,” rued Mohan Lal Bote, who has been rowing boat for the past 20 years.
People of Alamdevi, Birgha, Krishna Gandaki, Kotakot and other VDCs of Syangja have to cross Dailatung Ghat while going to Butwal for shopping. But they have been using other means of transport in the last few years and only a few use boats.
Another boatman Ghanashyam Khadka said he is having difficulty in educating his six children due to the development. He said the closing of Kaligandaki by the electricity project has deprived Botes of their earning their livelihood through fishing. “Our fathers used to raise their families by fishing. But they shut down Kaligandaki at our times,” lamented Khadka. His wife and three grown-up children also work for daily wages, but the family still has trouble in making ends meet. Tulasi Bote said she has been forced to feed her children by grinding leaves of nettle on many occasions.
The hardship in the profession of boatmen and fishermen has also affected the education of Bote children. “The parents have become reluctant to send their children to schools, saying they don´t have earnings like before,” said principal of the local Dailatung Lower Secondary School Krishna Prasad Basyal. He said the number of drop-outs has also increased.
The Bote community has also not been able to reap fruits of various budgetary and other programs launched by the state for the uplift of backward communities. Various government and non government organizations working in the district have not catered to the needs of Botes, leaving them in a frustrating wait for relief.
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