Abstract

The emerging concept of inclusive business and green economy can be a boon to develop the marginalized indigenous communities in the developing country like Nepal. With the very thought of merging green economy and inclusive business having the taste of ecology, economy and spirituality, the core concept of "Peepal Plantation Campaign 2012" was initiated by Krishnamandir Promotion Children's committee (KPCC). As an initial step to bring Krishna Gandaki on value chain, 108 peepal saplings were planted on the bank of river at Puruswottamdham, Khoriyaghat, Syangja on the occasion of World Environment Day 2012. Moreover, the campaign not being limited only in the tree plantations tried to demonstrate the avenues for several other aspects of the opportunities of the village. Establishment of "Krishnamandir Promotion Committee" and "Krishnamandir Promotion Children's Committee" as an initiation of Bandobasta have the strong involvement of children, especially the marginalized Majhi, Bote, Kumal, Darai and other close tribal groups related with water culture, the program have well addressed the thought of complete inclusion that foster green economy.

Bandobasta on Green economy concept since 1995

People concern started from Stockholm Conference about environment conservation ultimately lead to Green Economy at 2012. "Green Economy; Does it include you?" was the theme adopted for the World Environment Day 2012. This was the foundation concept of Hindu as mentioned on " Sarbe Bhawantu Sukhin....." and adopted concept of Bandobasta; a private firm working for the conservation based micro-enterprises that reinforce green economy since 1995. "Matsyanarayan Darshan tatha peepal prabardhan Karyakram 2010" , Kalpabrikshya Prabardhan Abhiyan 2011" were the program organized on the initiation of Bandobasta with the objective to develop the spiritual and ecological tourism destination and also to address the climate change issues through Peepal leaves. Peepal (Ficus religiosa) captures Co2 and gives 02 more efficiently than other plants and is considered as the incarnation of lord Vishnu making it ecologically and spiritually significant.

Krishnamandir on inclusive business concept

Khoriyaghat; a remote village of Syangja nearly about 100 kms away from Pokhara is a home for hundreds of indigenous communities like Majhi (fisherman), Bote (boatman who transport people from one bank to another where there is no bridge) and others. Construction of bridge over the Krishna Gandaki River was a relief for other people but to the poor majhi and bote the bridge snatched their means of bread earning. This left them with the only alternative to sweep towards the gulf countries and those who could not afford to go abroad went to India and some youth migrated to urban cities. Those who were not fit for these alternatives become compelled to a miserable livelihood. A new beginning was necessary for these deprived indigenous people and Bandobasta have attempted to be a hand to pull them out of the dreadful quagmire of poverty and oppression. Establishing Krishnamandir Promotion Committee was the beginning step to bring the Puruswottamdham, Khoriyaghat on spiritual value chain, so that local people could fit on inclusive business.

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Bandobasta's dream to bring these houses on value chain

What is Krishnamandir?

Krishna Gandaki is the different river which gives birth to almighty Shaligram. Purans have defined this as a secret pilgrimage. Holy stone ammonite fossils (Saligram) worshipped as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu makes Krishna Gandaki even more sacred. Rare parts of this sacred river flowing from south to north is considered as the most holiest place to listen Bhagawat and doing spiritual functions. It is the natural temple which is far more pious than the man made temples and Bandobasta have tried to establish Krishna Gandaki as the real "Krishnamandir". Positioning Krishna Gandaki as Krishnamandir can help to increase the religious value of the place, attracting spiritual tourists and involve the majhi, bote, kumal, darai in the tourism business.

Krishnamandir Promotion Committee

The slogan of inclusive development and identity cannot itself satisfy the wrath of an empty stomach unless it is converted into inclusive business. Indigenous and marginalized communities cannot step on the development ladder without inclusive market for inclusive business. With this theme, ethical groups including majhi, bote, kumal, darai, had organized to be the member of Krishnamandir Promotion Committee. This committee is focused to develop the village as a spiritual tourism destination that will generate new unexplored earning opportunity for the villagers.

Organizing the Krishnamandir Promotion Children Committee with branch network at four different locations was important achievement since it can help children to bring on the development path who are the most vulnerable ones. Those children who were focused only on playing and roaming in the village unnecessarily have now started to invest their free time on group work, which have the potentiality to change their future. They had proved themselves as future leader of locality, crossing the limited boundary of Majhi society. Bandobasta is proud to see their eagerness to uplift themselves and help then do it through inclusive business.

Activities

With the intensive support of Bandobasta, Krishnamandir Promotion Children Committee (KPCC), MECT volunteers have jointly done various activities listed below:

1. Water purification demonstration: Consumption of water directly from the tap without purification is one of the major problems of the village. So, to create awareness about the necessity of safe drinking water MECT volunteer had supported them on water purification demonstration. MECT volunteer had contributed the technology and water guard for KPCC.

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MECT Volunteer and KPCC members on auspicious occasion of Aksheya Tirtiya

2. Community farming: As a joint program with agricultural self-help group, KPCC had started to involve people on community farming. They had planted about 40 banana suckers at Kalimandir Compound.

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First attempt of community farming at Khoriyaghat

3. Gandaki Dasahara Puja (River Worship): KPCC are the pioneers to introduce Gandaki Dasahara Puja (River Worship) at Khoriyaghat. Before this, the puja was limited and understood as the day to eat ten varieties of vegetables. The culture started by children could be meaningful to increase the importance of Krishna Gandaki.

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Gandaki Dasahara: Children are trying to wash their ten sins of heart, mouth and hand origin

Gandaki Dasahara puja is believed to wash away several sins that we mostly commit in our daily activities.
Three sins of heart origin: • Greed • Lack of benevolence • Over ambition

Four sins of mouth origin • Telling lie • Theft • Evil speaking • Unnecessary Chattering
Three sins of Hand • Violence • Theft • Evil doings

4. Training of the children: Learning should always be a means of fun for children. Encouragement will help them learn faster and efficiently than stress. Paintings in the skeleton of peepal leaves, saligram and stone, practices of religious music, which were taught to them in the way of fun, indulged them in the creative activities. Leaf paintings have high market value in the cities and the children can convert leaves of peepal they planted into money. The varieties of beautiful stones found in the Krishna Gandaki River were also tried to be converted into art value. MECT volunteer, Global eco hero 2011, Mr. Anup Chalise was the resource person of these activities. Now members like Sukmaya Majhi of Hunghi branch and Sangita Majhi of Khoriyaghat are showing the potential to be future local resource persons.

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Peepal leaves and unused stone could be money on value chain

5. Peepal Plantation Campaign 2012 and Exhibition:

To celebrate the WED 2012, 108 peepal saplings were planted on the bank of Krishna Gandaki. Planting of peepal tree is considered a very holy act in Hindu culture, so the people from Pokhara and Syangja were motivated and they actively participated in the plantation. Many of them have also committed to build Chautari (Stone Platform) around the tree within two years. This has already increased the flow of internal visitors to the village which was previously very isolated. The program was hosted by the Krishnamandir Promotion Children Committee and the adults were the speakers. Disseminating the message of increasing global warming and climate change, its effect and the responsibility of people to combat it was also the important objective of the program. This campaign as a blend of environment and religion is likely to give the dual benefit.

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MECT (Matsyanarayan Environment Conservation Trust) also gave significant contribution in the campaign. Fund raising, people's participation management and sapling management were handled by MECT. As the chief guest, Anup Chalise; winner of Young Eco Hero Award 2011 and Dipendra Malla; Mr. Handsome 2012, Pokhara, were invited to motivate the children and the villagers. Exhibition of peepal arts, saligram and beautiful river stones was another major attraction of the program that was intended to show the villagers, what the product of their village was and how they can utilize in monetary values. On the mid of program, organizer had recognized the artist Tek Bahadur Kunwar Thapa for this conservation art. Plantation of Peepal that started from June 5 will be continuing till October 2012. KPCC with its four branches will organize a grand exhibition at Jyagdighat on the closing day. We are hoping to work together with Tree for Cities a UK based social organization for remaining works.

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Recognition of artist Tek Bahadur Kunwar Thapa

Findings

• The adaptability ratio of children is found to be high, women have medium and the adult male is found to be comparatively low.

• In the previous plantation campaign where adult were leading, there was the high risk of seed money misuse. In many cases adult had exhibited them as development activists in front, demonstrate the same project many time to different organizer and misused the seed money for their vested interested. So, this time the children were mobilized and all the works were completed smoothly per our objective

• Wave agents of the society like politicians, youth, and spiritual leaders also participated equally.

• Children who are the active participants throughout all the activities have shown the sign of becoming the future leader who hold the capacity to change the face of their village, their country.

• Investing money and time on education and children through their own organization may give better result.

Sustainability:

Celebrating Aksheyatritiya as a day for water security and Gandaki Dasahara Puja for river basin management may convert into culture. We had started to plant peepal first at heart of indigenous people, who were supposed to obstacle to grow planted peepal.

Positioning the Krishnagandaki as real Krishnamandir may help to utilized private resources on river basin management instead of investing on useless and scattered temples. Ama samuha could be possible target audiences for this purpose. Our grand closing with environment exhibition at Jagdighat may help us to position our core message among mothers of Syanja.

Respected holy Jagadguru Balsanta Mohansaran Dewacharya is guardian of Nimbarka Nikunja Radhakrishna temple of Puruswottamdham, Khoriyaghat. Members of Krishnamandir have close relationship with him and he loves them too. The temple is going to organize Gopal Mahayagya and Saligram mahotsav on 2070. That yegya could be important milestone to disseminate the Krishnamandir concept among spiritual groups.

We are planning to publish a souvenir covering our core message along with important feedback of local leaders and social influencers. We will cover some important sloka of Gangasahasranam, Dasahara stotra, Sani trayodasi Storta, Peepal worship stortra on that publication. That may help us to convert our action into culture of locality.

Conclusion

Poverty is not due to lack of resources, rather an outcome of the optimistic eye that can seek out numerous earning opportunities that is always hovering around us. The rural poverty of Nepal can also be eradicated with the identification and utilization of the available resources. Concept of inclusive business can be more fruitful in the overall development of Nepal. However, inclusion if defined in a negative way may invite violence, conflict and terrorism in extreme. So, we need to be careful to use inclusion strategy on the fragile society like Majhi, Bote, Kumal, and Darai.

Inclusion with principle will bring social harmony, development and cohesion and there was equal participation of different ethical groups, women and children in our aim of establishing Krishna Gandaki as Krishnamandir. After observing the sustainability of this program for 2 years, it can be replicated elsewhere if succeeded. Children who are the active participants throughout all the activities have shown the sign of becoming the future leader who hold the capacity to change the face of their village, their country.

We have to understand that tourism is not only the adventurous or natural ones. We have high potential of developing spiritual tourism as one of our selling products. Understanding this potentiality, if we pay special attention on developing new techniques to flourish spiritual tourism, the poverty of Nepal will not be everlasting.

Contact detail for further queries

Ankush M Chalise, email: anku2006@hotmail.com Mobile: 9846441892

Dipendra Malla, email: dipenzo@hotmail.com

Anup Chalise, email: anupchalise@yahoo.com

Yubraj Majhi

Surendra Majhi

Bhojraj Bhandari

Dilli Bahadur Majhi

Tek Bahadur Kunwar Thapa, Damachour

Sukmaya Majhi, Hungi

Sangita Majhi, Khoriya

Kulraj Chalise, email: kulrajchalise@gmail.com

Srijana Majhi, Keladi

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Yes: Bandobasta attempted it at rural KHORIYAGHAT
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Anup Chalise
MECT Volunteer

Green Economy: Does it include you?