GAIGHAT, Feb 12: With inter-caste marriage forbidden and marriage within the blood relations a taboo, the indigenous Hayu community residing in different places of Udayapur district are suffering from a matrimonial crisis within the district. 

Earlier, there were two clans of Hayus in Udayapur-Balunglocha and Kamalocha and it wasn't difficult to form matrimonial alliance. "However, now, all the young men and women in the district fall inside the bloodline," Tej Bahadur Hayu of Sirbani said. 

The Hayus are the Kirant tribe speaking their own language and are mostly animist by religion. Hayu community is one among the 126 castes and ethnic group in the country.  According to Panchaman Hayu, the Hayus migrated to Udayapur from Ramechhap. The Hayus of the two districts then formed matiral alliance.    

There are a total of seven Hayu households in the district -- five at Udayapur Sirbani of Katari municipality-10 and - two at Sukaura of Triyuga municipality-16. 

Badri Hayu of Sukaura said that they had migrated to Udayapur from Makawanpur. They had formed a matrimonial alliance with the Balunglocha Hayu in Udayapur but now those Hayu youths cannot get married with their matrilineal families. 

However, the new generation of this community has gradually started to practice inter-caste marriage after finding their partners in other castes as well. The actions of new generation, in turn, has become a concern for old generations as they fear extinction of the community.  In turn, the elderlies are visiting districts to find brides and grooms from their own ethnic community.

According to Nepal Federation of Indigenous and Nationalities, Udaypur Chairman, Keshab Magar, Ramechhap, Makwanpur, Sindhuli, Kavre, Okhaldhunga and Bhojpur are the districts with where Hayu communities live.

 
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