But this old man has one worry; the extinction of the Raute language and culture. “We started cultivation, instead of collecting fruits in the forest for our food,” he said. “I am deeply worried as our language and culture are gradually turning into things of the past.”
Only a few Raute living in Shirsha VDC-6, Rajyouda in Dadeldhura district still speak their mother tongue. Raute complains that other communities have migrated to their settlements. “Our children and grandchildren have stopped understanding our mother tongue,” said 70-year-old Bindra Devi Raute. “We elderly alone speak Raute language. Our children speak either Doteli or Nepali language.”
Raute culture is moving toward extinction by the day as the community gradually sells their land to people of other communities. Interaction between their children and those from other cultures have caused Raute children to lose their mother tongue altogether. “Our children are forced to speak the language of other communities as our number stands very few in our locality,” complained Nanda Singh Raute. “Our culture is getting extinct day by day.”
Elderly Raute are consumed with feelings their culture will die due to their offspring adopting the cultures of others.
A primary school has been opened in the village for Raute children. However, only a few attend the school. Worse still, classes are run by non-Raute teachers as none belong to the Raute community.
“All friends speak Nepali in school. Doteli language is spoken while back in the village,” said Sunita Raute, who studies at the local Samaiji Primary School. “I feel strange when our parents speak our mother tongue at home.”
Fifth-grader Sunita complained people in her village tease them when their parents speak Raute.
Raute parents have pointed out the need to use Raute language while teaching their children at schools. “Our children must be taught in Raute language,” said Shanti Devi Raute, a guardian. “Raute language has almost reached the verge of extinction due to teaching in other language in school.”
The government began settling the Raute community in inner Madhesh from their original settlements in Darchula, Baitadai and Dadeldhura since the 1940s. The government had also provided two bigha of land to each Raute family. “We shifted the village as the agriculture produce from the dry land would not suffice for even two months,” 62-year-old Dhaul Singh Raute narrated his hardships.
Over half the total 50 families settled there have already left the village. The government has repeatedly asked the Raute not to sell their land. However, the trend to sell their land and move to other location remains. Raute living in Jogbudha and Shirsha VDC in Dadeldhura are reeling through the hardest times ever in their history.
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