AUTHOR
Subhash Chandra Verma
ABSTRACT
The Tharu community is famous tribe of India and Nepal. The Tharus are indigenous people of the Himalayan Tarai area. Maximum population of this community lives on both sides of Indo-Nepal border. Tharu were already living in the Terai before Indo-Europeans arrived. Due to friendly relations between India and Nepal, the Indo-Nepal border is open for people of both countries; so Indian and Nepali Tharus are active in their socio-cultural relationship. This paper is based on primary & secondary data and it describes status of global communication & connectivity among educated youth of the Tharu tribe. There were 32 male and 18 female students in the selected samples. All these Tharu students belong to various villages. A self developed questionnaire has been used in interviewing all selected Tharu students for collection of information about awareness of global communication. Facts about use of internet, Social Networking, Chatting tools, developing of online communities have been collected from the internet. Facebook, Orkut, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, Skype, Google search have been used for searching those Tharus who are connected and active globally through the use of internet. Some information has been searched from the internet about the Nepali and Indian Tharus. Facts about use of internet, Social Networking, Chatting tools, developing of online communities have been collected from the internet. Facebook, Orkut, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, Skype, Google search have been used for searching those Tharus who are connected and active globally through the use of internet. It is a normal perception about the Tharus that they have very reserved and shy nature so they are backward. It has also been found in this study that they are really very poor in global connectivity due to their traditional habits. This situation is only in Indian Tharus because Nepali Tharus are more aware than Indian Tharus in use of internet and direct links to other people. This is why they are working at global level but Indian Tharus are still struggling for their basic needs in this era of globalization. Educated Indian Tharus are also backward and poor in use of global communication facilities like internet. Maximum (approx 75%) Indian Tharu students are not able to use computer and internet till now, though they know very well that use of modern technologies of communication is very helpful in development of any society. Hence they are always away from these facilities which are available in the college and market at very low price. There is need for more awareness about global communication and connectivity among Indian Tharus for their development. The Indian Tharu youth, who have access to higher education, are not so aware about globalization and global communication. Although they are aware of the significance of global communication in the development of any community in this era, but even then they are not active in global communication. There is no dearth of facilities which are available free of cost (at college) or at very low price in the market for global communication but Indian educated Tharu youths seem to have little interest in it. Nepali Tharu youths are more active than Indian Tharu youths in global communication by internet and direct contacts with people of other countries. There are many Nepali Tharu students studying in top grade Indian Institutes. But Indian Tharu youths have little awareness about studying in these institutes, though they have special facility of reservation for admission in these types of institutions. What is the real status of the global communication and what are the main problems of Indian Tharu youth about this matter? Why they are not interested in global communication? These are some main and big questions at present. On the basis of this analysis, of collected data from the Indian Tharu students and other available information by related literature & internet search, it should be said that Indian Tharu community is still poor and deprived in matter of global communication in this era of globalization. Lack of awareness about development and globalization is the reason of their backwardness in global communication. Due to poor English some Indian Tharus feel shyness and hesitation to keep global contacts by internet or directly. Educated Indian Tharus are also poor and slow in global communication due to their tipical traditional habits of hesitation and shyness. That is why the Indian Tharus have only one online community named as Rana Tharu Parishad but Nepali Tharus have lot of online communities for social networking (name of these online communities have also described above). Maximum educated Indian Tharus (3/4) are not able to use computer and internet till now. This is the era of globalization so the global communication is must for development of every community. That’s why the Indian Tharus need to be connected with global communication stream. Tharu youth are very important wing of their community. They are playing very creative role in their community. But they are not connected with mainstream of development. Some youths are trying to get higher education and advanced technology but they are very few. They are neither advanced nor are intricately linked with their traditional culture. They should have access to modern education, communication, technology and new life style but the care of traditional culture is necessary to keep their own identity.