Dalit movement in Nepal

S.R.Tamang 

                                                                                                            srtamang@gmail.com

General                                                                             

• 1.1) Nepal is a multinational country but no one is in majority.For historical reasons,especially,Hinduwisation ( hill high caste chauvinism) of whole Nepali population by the Gorkhali rulers, the development of Indigenous nationalities (35%), Madhesi (16 %),Dalit(13 %),and Muslim ( 5%) has been hindered. For 300 years this process is continuous. So Revolutionary Communist Party of Nepal, according to National Unity Congress (2024) has passed the policy to raise the voice of all the oppressed class and people, to accelerate their political, economic and cultural values and to bring complete equality and justice among all Nepali people and strengthen their unity.We oppose the tendency of great-nation chauvinism or Brahmanism,which hampered national unity.

1.2. Geography, people and making state 

• Nepal is a land of Chhomolungma (mt.Everest), the highest mountain in the world.She has the glory being a birthplace of Lord Buddha.This country stretches between the east longitude of 80*4’ and 88*12’, and north longitude of 26*22’ and 30*27’.In between the Tibetan plateau of China and the Gangetic plain of India,Nepal occupies a rectangular strip of 500 miles in length and 100 miles in width,in the middle of southern slope of the great Himalay. With varying altitude from a little over 600 feet above sea levels to 29080 feet high, the climate ranges and physical environments divide into three horizontal regions. Bhot (Himali region),Pahar(hills) and Tarai (plains) east to west.There are three major rivers: Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali, which divide the country into three vertical regions. These natural divisions help different ethnic communities to be located in different areas and made them distinct groups of Indigenous nationalities.Bhot (himali region)occupied predominantly by Bhote,Thakali,Sherpa,Lepcha,etc; Pahar(hills) by Tamang,Newar,Rai,Limbu,Magar,Gurung,Chepang,etc;and the Tarai region mostly occupied by Tharu,Dhimal,Choche,Meche,Satar,Danuwar,Jhagad,etc.These early settlers are of Tibeto-Burman speaking family who came here thousands years ago from the northern part of Asia.They have their own language,culture and territory with different faiths (Buddhism and  Animism).Indigenous peoples had a communal mode of production based on kinship. They had a system of communal landownership (kipat, raibandi,badghar,guthi,etc) which was equatable and based on the member of considerations such as family needs,collectiveresponsibility,mutual respect and welfare. All resources,including land and forest,were controlled communally by clan and distributed in accordance with family requirements (Regmi,1971:28)They had developed their own socio-political organization where the village / area head(Thakali, Choho,Mulmi,Subba,Rai,Thari,etc) was the powerful local authority legitimized by the village/ local/area councils (Chumlung,Tamchet, Namkhor, Kidu, Thakali, Chichhog, Badghar, etc). They enjoyed socio-political autonomy with the help of culturally prescribed and socially accepted customs (rigid-thiti system).
• In  around 12th.century a great flux of Hindu caste migrated from Indian plains fleeing from Muslim invasion.The gradual encroachment by the Hindu refugees succeeded to establish petty Hindu principalities by 16th century.They brought more lands under cultivation by bringing low caste (Dalit) artisans because of their high caste privilege that they were prohibited to work manual labors. So caste system came into existence in Nepal with Hindu refugees. There, in Kathmandu valley, low caste people are in Newar society.Caste system came into Tarai with the extension of Hindu population from north India. Dalit(low caste), anywhere they lived, are the product of Bramhminism.
• The migration of Hindu refugees germinated the concept of superiority, hierarchy, purity and varna (caste)system. It encouraged the Hindu high caste peoples to gain state power. Thus, over 500 years, they asserted political domination over Indigenous and Dalit peoples.

2).Gorkharaj,Indigenous Peoples and Dalit (low caste)population.

By the latter half of 18th century,Prithvinarayan Shah,then Thakuri (sardar) of Gorkha principally,annexed the autonomous regions of lndigenous nationalities of present day eastern Nepal and then proclaimed Gorkharaj as a “asil hindustan “(a genuine Hindustan).The The territorial expansion was launched until the Anglo-Nepal war of 1814-1816 towards the west.Now the king,as a representative of state, took the sole proprietorship of the land within his domain and introduced a system of state-land lordism,known as ‘raikar’ throughout the new kingdom. Now, the actual cultivators became tax-payer to the state. The confiscated lands were distributed among Bahuns and chhetris under raikar,birta, guthi, and jagir tenures to encourage new settlements in indigenous peoples areas even exempting taxes and curved labor.Thus,the formation of Hindu Nation-state has been destructive to kin-based societies of indigenous peoples in their midst and therefore created conditions for ethnocide and genocide (Gaily and Patterson,1988).

• Dalits were taken away wherever the high caste (bista/priest)reached. But they were not allowed land and bounded them to their occupation only. (*Table no. 4)

3. MulukiAin (National code)and Dalit suppression 

• The Gorkha Empire was followed by codification to legitimize the Hindu autocratic authority through creating uniform social structure according to principles of Indian Manusmriti. The code of 1854 imposed the pluralistic nations of Nepal into the single scheme of the Hindu caste universe (sharma, 1979). According to this law, the whole society divided into the four hierarchical order: (*Table no. 1); 1) Bahun 2) Chhetri 3) Vaishya 4) Shudra (untouchables or outcaste; *Table no. 3).Now Bahun and Chhetri considered as pure caste and political powers were placed at the highest position of social relations and the Shudras (dalit) considered as impure caste by virtue of their menial jobs, were placed at lowest status(water untouchable). Similarly, the indigenous peoples were named as matawali (alcohol drinking castes) and placed them into the lower strata as pani chalne shudra (water touchable).

The law prescribed a gradation of fines and punishment according to the caste of the offenders. The discrimination was so deep that Bahun and Chhetri were to be degraded from their caste only while Shudra and Indigenous peoples were to be killed in the same case. This rigid interpretation of Hindu caste principles excluded Shudra (dalit) and Indigenous peoples from the position of political power and rights to education. Except the Hindu Newars of Kathmandu valley, members of non-Hindu and untouchable communities were seldom admitted to the higher ranks of Gorkha administration during 1854-1950 (+1999).(table-2).

The political participation in 1959 Bahun-Chhetri (30 % population) constituted 59 %and Shudra (Dalit)had 0.o%.and in 1991 Bahun-Chhetri had 55.0 % and Shudra had 1.0 % only. But in 2022 Bahun-Chhetri constituted 47 %in House of Representatives and 61.0 %in National Assembly. Shudra (Dalit -13.0%),in 2022 constituted 6.0% in House of representative and 14.0%in National Assembly (table-5).

• This parliamentary constitution (2015)resolves to eliminate caste-based discrimination and to promote an inclusive and equitable society.Under the fundamental rights of constitution,article-40 (rights of Dalit) guarantees that Shudras shall have the right to participate in all organs of the state in accordance with the principle of proportional inclusion. Despite the constitutional provisions,Shudra (Dalit)participation in state organs,particularly in the executive and legislative branches represent nominal. And article-24 (rights against discrimination and untouchability) prohibits discrimination based on castle,ethnicity or profession in any public or private space. But in practice, Dalits continue to have suffered violent and inhuman treatment,including sexual assault,murder and social exclusion in our country.

4. Struggle for equality and social justice

• Despite the constitutional protections and laws enforced by Government to end discrimination and untouchability why continue caste-based discrimination and violence in country? Why authorities are indifferences towards caste-based violence and discrimination?
• Because this bourgeois parliamentary politics is dominated by high caste ruling (Bahun-Chhetri)elites and comprador class in the name of democracy. So,we can say that,according to writer Arundhati Roy, this democracy is Demoncracy ( demon +cracy).We know that discrimination based on caste was legally abolished in 1963. But,despite this, the ruling class has become indifferent toward caste-based violence and discrimination. In classic,we can say that Dalits are,mainly, exploited and oppressed by Brahmanism and comprador capitalist class. So Dalits (Shudra,low caste) struggle must be against Brahmanism and bureaucratic and comprador capitalist class.
• Dalits’ emancipation will be while the new democratic revolution completed. Revolutionary communist party Nepal combines the Dalit movement with the class struggle. Thank you.

Table no. 1. The caste groups of the MA

Muluki Ain of 1854 (A.D.)   {2012:10 Kathmandu: HimalBooks}

Clarification:

1. The castes of category I may not accept water from the castes of Category II, hence the latter are labelled ‘water-unacceptable’.
2. “Enslavable” are castes whose members, in case of certain offnces, can be punished by enslavement. Impure castes (4&5) are also enslavable.

Source: Andra’s Hofer, The Caste Hierarchy and The State in Nepal ( A Study of the Muluki Ain of 1854 A.D. )

Table – 2:

Regional and communal distribution of National-level administrations.

Sources: F.H. Gaige, 2009 : 166 &GobinaNeupane ( 2000:22 ).

Table – 3:

Dalits of Nepal 

Source: National Dalit Commission Act – 2009.

Table – 4: Poverty head count categorized by ethnic group

Source: Nepal living standard survey 2010.

Table – 5: Nationality / Caste representation in legislature

Sources: Election Commission, 2022.

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