Recently, the Norway’s Parliament released a formal apology for its assimilation policies targeting Sami, Caven and Finance Fin Peoples. These policies known as Norwegian were implemented to suppress indigenous languages and cultures between the 1850s and 1960s. Along with forgiveness, the government proposed measures to address the ongoing discrimination, such as protecting indigenous languages and monitoring the inclusive efforts starting in 2027.
Although Norway has canceled discriminatory laws and has established symbolic rights such as a Sami Parliament, challenges remain. Sami languages are endangered, and indigenous groups face inequalities in healthcare, education and land rights.
Nordic, Himalayan Equality
The experiences of Nordic and Himalayan communities share some similarities. The Himalayan region extends 2,500 km from Afghanistan to Northeast India and has the world’s largest snow reserves after two poles. Like Nordics, Himalayan communities face climate-inspired disasters and centuries of resource exploitation.
The region is home to 52 million people of various tribes, clans, ethnicity and religions. These include Gaddis and Kinnuras in Himachal Pradesh; Lepaches, Bhutias and Mons in Sikkim and Ladakh; And various groups in Arunachal Pradesh, such as Abore, aka, Aptani and Mishmi. Khas, Kalash and other ethnic groups are in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal. These communities have faced waves of colonialism, nation-building after independence and imbalance through neoliberal economic policies.
During the British colonial rule, trade and forest laws affected the Himalayan communities. In the Northeast, the tribes were forced to accept the terms of colonial trade, including items such as tea, gold, silk and opium. In some areas, trade barriers destroyed local economies. According to ASR foreign proceedings, 1881, “an interesting result of the blockade of 1874, as reported by Colonel Graham, stated that the cultural operations of the hill people were suspended as they could not purchase iron from the plains to build the dao jhoom and marriage as the silk cloth supply was blocked.”
Similarly, in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, forest laws were implemented to ensure regular supply of wood for laying railway lines in India. An article in ‘Pragithethas of Community Forestry in India’ underlines that “between 1853 and 1910 more than eighty thousand kilometers of tracks were placed in the subcontinent. The great part of the forest was destroyed to meet the demand of railway sleepers. For example, Garhwal and Kumaon’s cells fell as a Ujad.”
After India’s independence, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru advocated honoring the tribal methods of life. Mr. Nehru said: “… I am not sure that there is a better way to live, tribal or ourselves. In some cases I am quite certain that they are better. Therefore, it is better from us to contact them with the air of superiority, or tell them what they have to do or not to do. There is no point in trying to make them a second rate. ,
This humanitarian approach influenced policies for about 15 years. However, up to 5th and 6th Five Year Plans, rapid resource exploitation in tribal areas began to disrupt local ecosystems and cultures.
There was a significant change in the Himalayas rule in the 1990s. Unlike other Indian states, which had some industrial grounds, the Himalayan states emerged due to geographical and multi-caste ideas. This era introduced fiscal policies, which pressurized the states to generate their revenue. Tourism and hydroelectric activities became major economic activities, causing extensive environmental erosion and cultural erosion.
Hydropower projects, especially, provide an example of exploitative development models. In March 2015, the then Chief Minister Nabam Tuki said: “After the commission of only three ongoing hydro-power projects in the state, it will earn ₹ 445 crore annually as revenue from free projects supplied by free projects to sell to the state. On completion of all ongoing projects, Arunachal Pradesh will meet 40% of India’s power demand and graduate from serious dependence to financial self -reliance. “This is another feature of assimilation.
However, such projects often ignore local laws, which reduce tribal land ownership ruled by customary practices. Despite legal security, a nexus of bureaucrats, politicians and corporations has provided large -scale land acquisition for hydroelectric development. This “hydroelectric-exercise” described by civil society groups gives an example of priority of economic development on cultural protection and environmental stability. Traditional practices and ethnic diversity in the Himalayan region are rapidly marginalized in favor of profit-operated initiatives.
Lesson from Norway
Norway’s waiver for Sami people highlighted the importance of being committed to accept historical injustice and to reconcile. For the Himalayan region, a uniform acknowledgment has long been overdue. The exploitation of natural resources and the erosion of cultural identity demands a change towards accountability and permanent, inclusive development.
While the federal government of Norway has taken a step towards justice, the question is: Who will apologize to ‘Himalayas’?
Tikendra Singh Panwar is former Deputy Mayor, Shimla and Member, Kerala Urban Commission. Some Himalayan think tanks are working on an alternative model of development development
Published – March 06, 2025 01:35 AM IST