Sauka community begins traditional ‘Kuncha’ migration to Khalanga

Darchula: The Sauka community, unique to Darchula district, has commenced its seasonal migration from ancestral homes to the district headquarters, Khalanga.

Traditionally, the community, residing in Byas Rural Municipality-1, Tinkar, and Chhangru villages, spends six months in the summer in the highlands and migrates to Khalanga for six months during winter. This migration is locally known as ‘Kuncha.’ With the onset of winter, families are moving from Thathalo to Khalanga to escape the cold, according to Dan Singh Tinkar, a local resident.

He stated that five families from Tinkar village began their journey to Khalanga on Mangsir 15, traveling via Sitapul in India, as direct access through Nepal is not immediately possible. The remaining families are expected to start migrating around Mangsir 7. Children and livestock accompany the families during the Kuncha migration, which begins in the second week of Baisakh and continues until the winter season.

Residents of Tinkar and Chhangru, located approximately 28 kos from the district headquarters, travel on foot through the Indian route due to the absence of a connecting road from Nepal. Locals have raised concerns over challenges faced, including strict monitoring by security personnel and the need for travel permissions while using the Indian route. They have urged the government to construct roads to enable safe and direct migration within Nepal.

Chief District Officer Anil Poudel requested coordination and cooperation with the local administration in India, as the Kuncha migration passes through Indian territory. The journey from Khalanga to Tinkar village takes approximately six days. In the Byasi Sauka community, 125 families reside in Chhangru village and 70 families in Tinkar village.

The Sauka community, an indigenous group with its own language, culture, and traditions, has historically lived in Byas, Rapla, and Sitola. Residents of Tinkar and Chhangru practice subsistence farming, cultivating crops such as yam, nappal, phapar, and potato.