LB THAPA
The lives of Nepali porters are miserable. They carry loads of trekkers and walk up and down craggy trails with cautious steps. Journeying to high altitudes can be like having one’s heart pop out of the mouth. This risky job so far has resulted in uncountable porters having lost their lives while many fatalities also go unreported. A body of a dead porter is left for wild animals, or buried without rituals.
To sum up, Nepali porters have always been neglected and exploited.
Poor as they are, they also have little to safeguard their rights. Poverty and illiteracy push them to take on this occupation. Their job is tough indeed. Whether in the scorching sun or freezing cold weather, porters – called “bhariyas” in Nepali – are expected to walk continuously. No matter how heavy their load, they have to trudge on and ahead of the trekkers. This is the rule of the job that every porter has to follow.
There are allegedly over 50,000 porters in Nepal. Most are farmers. But due to lack of proper policies, this sector is most unorganized. This is one reason why they are exploited. A complete laissez-faire is applied in the porter’s labor market. Anyone can join the job without meeting any requirements. The only prerequisite is that one have enough physical strength.
Poverty is the culprit. Most porters in Nepal are farmers, but farm yields are always uncertain. Agriculture alone is unable to meet their needs. This is why they opt for an alternate income source during the off season. Being unskilled, portering also comes in handy. Many rush to popular trekking destinations where bhariyas are in demand.
“Every year during the off season, I go to Kathmandu or Pokhara to be a porter. In my absence, my wife and two daughters mind the household chores. But even after six months of carrying loads, all I end up with is a paltry sum and severe back pain,” lamented Dil Bahadur Rana Magar from Gorkha.
Yet another disappointed bhariya is Krishna Manandhar, 51, who wants to quit this profession and go to India for better prospects.
“A job of bhariya is also hazardous,” he says. “I’ve seen many fellow bhariyas dying. But a bhariya’s death makes no difference. His load is shared by others and the body is left for wild animals.”
High altitude trekking is a challenging task even for experienced porters. But there is no substitute for porters, especially in several places where even pack mules and donkeys can’t negotiate. Hence, surefooted porters are the only reliable vehicle to carry goods on trekking and mountaineering expeditions.
If a trekker suffers from high altitude sickness, s/he is carried by porters to safety. If the condition worsens, airlift to a nearby hospital is the
next move. But a bhariya does not receive the same treatment, no matter what. Humanth Chapagain, 45, from Chitwan says, “We porters are responsible for our own misery. We’re in cutthroat competition with our own co-porters. Due to this, mountain guides and trekking agencies take advantage of our weaknesses.”
A mountain porter is meant to carry a maximum of 15 kilograms. But in reality, he has to carry more. Also, sometimes a porter’s weight is shared by other porters and he is made redundant.
“Last year, I was sent back from Chumrung because others agreed to share my load,” added Humanath.
Illiterate and unorganized porters cannot defend their rights even with the formation of the Nepal Trekking, Travels, and Rafting Labor Union (NTTRLU) to protect the rights of porters. But sadly, this organization has failed to meet expectations.
Additionally, there is no living space for porters at night. They must sleep in the open. Hotel staff don’t treat them humanely, either. Many porters eat at small hotels and sleep in nearby caves. Some porters even carry ration with them.
However, some arrangement has been made for porters in the Annapurna and Langtang areas, where a common room is provided to them. There is also a porter’s house in Khumbu. Such shelters must be available in all major trekking and climbing destinations of Nepal.
In recent times, porters have demanded insurance. Their labor union has proposed Rs 200,000 for a porter’s death at 17,000 feet, and Rs 300,000 for such fatality above that altitude. The labor union has also fixed an individual porter’s wage at Rs 350 per day for Annapurna and Rs 450 in the Sagarmatha regions. Sick and wounded porters should also get the same facilities that trekkers get. However, these demands have not yet been fulfilled. The government did introduce a Tourism Act in 2002. Accordingly, porters are entitled to receive some benefits. But when this scribe spoke to many porters, they flatly denied getting any benefits whatsoever. Many were ignorant of any such Act with a provision to benefit them.
Even then, it is their abject poverty that compels them to continue portering. Promod Bhandari started as a porter 10 years ago. After one year, he quit. He then became a trekking guide. This profession is not as difficult as portering. After five years in this profession, he has his own trekking agency in Pokhara.
“I’ve experienced the hardship of a porter. This is where a porter earns neither decent money nor satisfaction. And the nature of the job is uncertain,” said he.
The lives of Nepali porters are miserable. They carry loads of trekkers and walk up and down craggy trails with cautious steps. Journeying to high altitudes can be like having one’s heart pop out of the mouth. This risky job so far has resulted in uncountable porters having lost their lives while many fatalities also go unreported. A body of a dead porter is left for wild animals, or buried without rituals.
To sum up, Nepali porters have always been neglected and exploited.
Poor as they are, they also have little to safeguard their rights. Poverty and illiteracy push them to take on this occupation. Their job is tough indeed. Whether in the scorching sun or freezing cold weather, porters – called “bhariyas” in Nepali – are expected to walk continuously. No matter how heavy their load, they have to trudge on and ahead of the trekkers. This is the rule of the job that every porter has to follow.There are allegedly over 50,000 porters in Nepal. Most are farmers. But due to lack of proper policies, this sector is most unorganized. This is one reason why they are exploited. A complete laissez-faire is applied in the porter’s labor market. Anyone can join the job without meeting any requirements. The only prerequisite is that one have enough physical strength.
Poverty is the culprit. Most porters in Nepal are farmers, but farm yields are always uncertain. Agriculture alone is unable to meet their needs. This is why they opt for an alternate income source during the off season. Being unskilled, portering also comes in handy. Many rush to popular trekking destinations where bhariyas are in demand.
“Every year during the off season, I go to Kathmandu or Pokhara to be a porter. In my absence, my wife and two daughters mind the household chores. But even after six months of carrying loads, all I end up with is a paltry sum and severe back pain,” lamented Dil Bahadur Rana Magar from Gorkha.
Yet another disappointed bhariya is Krishna Manandhar, 51, who wants to quit this profession and go to India for better prospects.
“A job of bhariya is also hazardous,” he says. “I’ve seen many fellow bhariyas dying. But a bhariya’s death makes no difference. His load is shared by others and the body is left for wild animals.”
High altitude trekking is a challenging task even for experienced porters. But there is no substitute for porters, especially in several places where even pack mules and donkeys can’t negotiate. Hence, surefooted porters are the only reliable vehicle to carry goods on trekking and mountaineering expeditions.
If a trekker suffers from high altitude sickness, s/he is carried by porters to safety. If the condition worsens, airlift to a nearby hospital is the
next move. But a bhariya does not receive the same treatment, no matter what. Humanth Chapagain, 45, from Chitwan says, “We porters are responsible for our own misery. We’re in cutthroat competition with our own co-porters. Due to this, mountain guides and trekking agencies take advantage of our weaknesses.”A mountain porter is meant to carry a maximum of 15 kilograms. But in reality, he has to carry more. Also, sometimes a porter’s weight is shared by other porters and he is made redundant.
“Last year, I was sent back from Chumrung because others agreed to share my load,” added Humanath.
Illiterate and unorganized porters cannot defend their rights even with the formation of the Nepal Trekking, Travels, and Rafting Labor Union (NTTRLU) to protect the rights of porters. But sadly, this organization has failed to meet expectations.
Additionally, there is no living space for porters at night. They must sleep in the open. Hotel staff don’t treat them humanely, either. Many porters eat at small hotels and sleep in nearby caves. Some porters even carry ration with them.
However, some arrangement has been made for porters in the Annapurna and Langtang areas, where a common room is provided to them. There is also a porter’s house in Khumbu. Such shelters must be available in all major trekking and climbing destinations of Nepal.
In recent times, porters have demanded insurance. Their labor union has proposed Rs 200,000 for a porter’s death at 17,000 feet, and Rs 300,000 for such fatality above that altitude. The labor union has also fixed an individual porter’s wage at Rs 350 per day for Annapurna and Rs 450 in the Sagarmatha regions. Sick and wounded porters should also get the same facilities that trekkers get. However, these demands have not yet been fulfilled. The government did introduce a Tourism Act in 2002. Accordingly, porters are entitled to receive some benefits. But when this scribe spoke to many porters, they flatly denied getting any benefits whatsoever. Many were ignorant of any such Act with a provision to benefit them.
Even then, it is their abject poverty that compels them to continue portering. Promod Bhandari started as a porter 10 years ago. After one year, he quit. He then became a trekking guide. This profession is not as difficult as portering. After five years in this profession, he has his own trekking agency in Pokhara.
“I’ve experienced the hardship of a porter. This is where a porter earns neither decent money nor satisfaction. And the nature of the job is uncertain,” said he.
“Nowadays, there’s been some improvement in the condition of porters,” said Harka Gharti, a longtime porter from Dhading. “Porters are paid 500 Rupees a day. Most hotels and lodges also provide a common room for us. However, we must pay for ourselves. It’s simply difficult to save any money even from a month-long trek.”
Making Nepal Tourism Year 2011 a success is not possible without making Nepali porters happy. The government must issue strict directives against the trekking agencies for providing adequate facilities to porters. The government also must ensure that no porters are exploited. Most importantly, porters’ grievances should be given due attention and prompt action should be taken without further delay.
Making Nepal Tourism Year 2011 a success is not possible without making Nepali porters happy. The government must issue strict directives against the trekking agencies for providing adequate facilities to porters. The government also must ensure that no porters are exploited. Most importantly, porters’ grievances should be given due attention and prompt action should be taken without further delay.
(Credit: This article was published in The Week of My Republica)
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