Occupations of the Lhotshampas

Since learning about the Bhutanese refugees and the conflict that has caused the refugee crisis, I was always under the impression that all Lhotshampas (population of Bhutanese forced out of the country) were strictly farmers in the southern part of the country. In doing some research recently, I discovered that not all Lhotshampas are farmers. However, a large number of Lhotshampas were landowners in Bhutan prior to their forced exile from the country, and many of these farmers cultivated crops such as oranges, cardamom, and ginger. Presently, this land previously occupied by the Lhotshampas has been taken over by other Bhutanese groups. Prior to their forced exile, 13% of all Lhotshampas held jobs in the agricultural sector, 13% served as homemakers or housekeepers, 40% were students enrolled in an educational program, and the remaining percentage served as educators, social workers, construction workers, engineers, civil employees, and artists. Researching information about the occupations of Lhotshampas prior to their forced exile from Bhutan makes me curious about the occupations of the Lhotshampas who have been resettled outside of Nepal…A potential topic for another blog post…?