The Raute community has demanded stronger security measures after recent criminal incidents involving individuals from other communities in their settlement, saying they now feel unsafe. Nepal’s only nomadic community, the Rautes, have been living near Khandadevi Community Forest at Chaurase Khola, Lekbeshi Municipality–9, Surkhet for the past two weeks.
A few days ago, on the night of October 10, the Rautes detained 19-year-old Raju Rajali of Lekbeshi–5, who had entered the settlement under the influence of alcohol. The next day, they handed him over to the police. On October 12, a complaint was filed at the District Police Office, Surkhet, accusing Rajali of attempting to rape an 18-year-old Raute girl. Police said the incident is under investigation.
In another incident last May, police arrested individuals who had filmed an abusive video of four Raute girls on a moving truck with malicious intent to make it viral on social media. After the video, showing misconduct toward Raute girls, was posted on Facebook, Surkhet police initiated an investigation.
In that case, police in Dailekh arrested Tapendra Shahi, a resident of Aathabis Municipality–3, Dailekh, who appeared in the video, and handed him over to Surkhet police. He was charged with cybercrime and misconduct.
Similarly, on June 4, 2021, a video surfaced showing two Raute women, aged 23 and 19, being sexually assaulted after being forced to consume alcohol at a hotel near Botechaur in Gurbhakot Municipality, Surkhet. The video, filmed by three local men, was widely circulated on social media.
According to the investigation, the perpetrators, Chaman Ghartimagar, 35 and Bhupendra Budhamagar, 24 of Gurbhakot–9 had intoxicated the women, taken them to a hotel room, and filmed themselves half-naked. The Surkhet District Court sentenced both to seven years in jail and fined them NPR 200,000 each. They are currently serving their sentences.
These are only some representative cases illustrating how the Raute community has become increasingly unsafe due to interactions with outsiders. In the past, the Rautes rarely mingled with people from other communities or visited towns. Now, they move more freely, visiting various settlements to request food or cash. However, their poverty, simplicity, and trustfulness are often exploited by outsiders for abusive acts. As a result, insecurity within the Raute community just as it begins to integrate into mainstream society has been on the rise.
Following recent incidents, a team of Raute representatives, including Deepak Shahi, Kapil Shahi, Kitab Shahi, and Vini Shahi met with SP Sudhir Raj Shahi of the District Police Office, Surkhet, on October 12 to request increased security in their settlement.
SP Shahi assured the delegation that police would arrange security for the Raute settlement. He provided them with the police contact number, instructing them to call directly if any security issues arise.
Commission’s recommendation remains unimplemented
It has been two years since the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directed all three levels of government to introduce special legal measures for the protection, safety, and preservation of Raute traditions yet the recommendations remain unimplemented.
In March 2024, the NHRC sent a formal letter to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, outlining specific directives to the federal, provincial, and local governments, as well as NGOs, regarding the Raute community.
The directives included establishing mobile police posts for the Rautes, declaring protected zones for their security, banning the sale and distribution of alcohol and tobacco in their areas, and developing a curriculum in the Raute Khamchi language.
The federal government was instructed to declare protected areas for the social and cultural preservation of the Rautes and establish mobile police units that move along with the community. The provincial and local governments were directed to set up mobile integrated service centers, covering administration, registration, food, relief, nutrition, and healthcare that move with the Raute settlements.
The Commission also instructed the government to draft and implement an integrated periodic action plan for the upliftment, inclusion, and empowerment of the Raute community and to assign a specific agency responsible for Raute affairs. The NHRC letter also emphasized protecting the community’s right to privacy, stating that no audio-visual materials about them should be created, collected, or broadcast without their informed consent.
Monitoring by the Commission and INSEC
Amid rising incidents affecting the Rautes, a monitoring team from the National Human Rights Commission, INSEC, and the Human Rights Defenders Network visited the Raute settlement on October 11, 2025.
Following the field visit, the monitoring team met SP Sudhir Raj Shahi at the District Police Office, Surkhet, requesting enhanced security measures. The team noted that unrestricted access of outsiders to the settlement had compromised the Rautes’ privacy and increased security risks. INSEC Karnali Province Coordinator Narayan Subedi said necessary initiatives were urged to address these concerns.
Declining Raute population
Currently, there are 40 households comprising 136 individuals living in the Raute settlement, 64 men and 72 women including four postpartum mothers. In June 2021, when the Rautes were residing at Simghat, Gurbhakot–9, Surkhet, there were 141 members, according to INSEC’s field monitoring report.
The Gurans Rural Municipality in Dailekh provides each Raute with NPR 4,000 per month, distributed quarterly in their settlement.
According to Ramesh Kumar Thapa, Chief of NHRC Karnali Province Office, the Raute community, the only nomadic group in Nepal has been gradually assimilating with other communities, which has made them more vulnerable to exploitation due to their simplicity and lack of awareness. No one in the Raute settlement owns a mobile phone. When communication or information sharing is necessary, the Rautes rely on people from nearby areas who own phones or personally approach them to make calls.
Karnali Province Office