Badghar custom legalised in Kanchanpur

Kanchanpur: Shuklaphanta Municipality in Kanchanpur district has legalised the Badghar custom practised by the local Tharu community for ages.

The 10th municipal assembly of the municipality passed the Badghar Institution Mobilization Act, 2078 BS, which has legalised the tradition. The municipality responded to demands of the community to legalise the tradition becoming the third local level in the country and the first one in Sudurpaschim Province to give the custom a legal status.

The Badghar is a key person in a Tharu village. The person is regarded as a guardian of the village. They emphasize on communal unity, conduct various traditional rites and rituals and make villagers follow social rules. They penalise or fine those disobeying the social rules.

Duties and responsibilities of the Badghar, assistant Badghar, watch person and ‘Bhalmansa’ have been specified in the act. They have to coordinate with people’s representatives of the municipality in discharging their duties like settling minor disputes or maintaining social and economic harmony in the society.

Assistant Badghar will be assigned to carry out duties of Badghar in their absence and watch persons are assigned to provide necessary information to the villagers. “The municipality is dominated by Tharu community. So in conserving their culture, we have legalised the Badghar custom,” said the municipality mayor Dil Bahadur Aira.

The custom that has been passed on from generation to generation has been threatened largely thanks to the influence of modernisation. Legalising the tradition means to converse it, said the municipality chief administrative officer, Tikendra Bhatta.