Social Studies and Life Skills · Chapter 7
Study notes aligned to the official NEB syllabus.
Nepal is one of the most diverse societies in South Asia. It is also a small country. Its people are divided and connected by caste (jaat), ethnicity (jati), language, religion, and region. Social identity means how a person places themselves among these overlapping groups. History also matters. The caste system shaped who got opportunity and who got status. Today the Nepali state tries to replace a ranking by birth with equal citizenship for all. This unit looks at four things. These are the caste system, the situation of Dalits, the difference between caste and ethnicity, and the idea of multiculturalism and social unity.
The caste system (jaat vyawastha) is a form of social stratification. This means people are placed in ranked groups. A person is born into a group and stays in it. In the past, each group was also tied to an occupation. In Nepal, the system used Hindu varna ideas. The four varnas are Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra. The system became most rigid and legal under the Muluki Ain (the Civil Code) of 1854. It was issued during the Rana period. This code placed the whole population into a ranked list of castes and ethnic groups. It said who was "pure" and who was "impure". It said who could be touched and who could not. It also gave each group different privileges and punishments. High-caste Hindus (Bahun and Chhetri) were at the top. Many Janajati groups were in the middle. The so-called untouchable castes were at the bottom.
The caste system shaped many parts of life. It affected marriage. It affected where people could live. It affected which temples and water sources they could use. It also affected their work. For example, some groups were expected to do tailoring, leatherwork, or metalwork. The new Muluki Ain of 1963 removed caste-based discrimination from the law. But social attitudes did not change as quickly. Even today, in some villages, a Dalit may be stopped from entering a kitchen or a temple. This shows that a change in law does not automatically end old customs.
The word Dalit literally means "oppressed" or "broken". It refers to communities that were placed at the bottom of the caste ranking. These communities faced untouchability (chhuwachhut). Dalits in Nepal include Hill Dalit groups. Examples are Kami, Damai, Sarki, and Gaine. They also include Madhesi (Terai) Dalit groups. Dalits have faced discrimination in many areas. These include water, temples, public spaces, and inter-caste marriage. They have also often been denied respectful treatment.
The Constitution of Nepal 2015 guarantees the right against untouchability and caste-based discrimination. It makes this a fundamental right. It also says such discrimination is a punishable offence. It protects Dalit rights, including participation in state bodies, education, employment, and social security. There is also a law called the Caste-Based Discrimination and Untouchability (Offence and Punishment) Act. It makes untouchability a crime. Even so, Dalit communities still face more poverty and lower literacy. They still face social exclusion, and some discrimination still happens. A widely discussed example is inter-caste couples that include a Dalit. Such couples have sometimes faced violence or social boycott. This shows a gap between what the constitution promises and what people actually live. To solve Dalit issues, Nepal needs two things. It needs strict enforcement of the law. It also needs long-term change in attitudes through education and awareness.
Caste and ethnicity are different ideas. Caste (jaat), in the strict sense, means the ranked groups inside the Hindu social order. Ethnicity (jati) means a community that shares a distinct language, culture, and history. Such a community often has its own homeland. It does not have to fit into the Hindu caste ladder. The word janajati means indigenous nationalities (Adivasi Janajati). These are ethnic communities with their own mother tongue and traditional culture. In the past they stood outside the Hindu caste ranking. They often follow their own customs and religion. Examples of Janajati groups are Magar, Tamang, Tharu, Newar, Gurung, Rai, Limbu, and Sherpa. There are many others.
Nepal officially recognises many Adivasi Janajati groups. This is done through the National Foundation for the Development of Indigenous Nationalities. The difference matters because Janajatis and Dalits do not face the same problem. Janajatis have faced marginalisation. They were kept away from state power. Their language and religion were not the dominant ones. But they did not face untouchability in the way Dalits did. A good example is the Tharu community of the Terai. They have their own language and festivals, such as Maghi. They have traditional ways of earning a living. They have also campaigned for recognition of their identity and for land rights. When we understand both caste-based and ethnicity-based inequality, the state can make fairer policies of inclusion.
Nepal is multiethnic, multilingual, multireligious, and multicultural. The Constitution of Nepal 2015 describes the country in exactly these words. Multiculturalism is the idea that many cultural, language, and religious communities can live together in one nation. Each community keeps its own identity. All of them share common citizenship and loyalty to the state. Nepal has well over a hundred caste and ethnic groups. It has more than a hundred spoken languages. People across the country follow Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Kirat, Christianity, and other faiths.
Social unity in a diverse society does not mean everyone is the same. It means "unity in diversity". Differences are respected. No single group dominates the others. The modern constitution supports this in several ways. It makes Nepal a secular state. It recognises all mother tongues as national languages. It includes marginalised groups in state bodies in fair proportion. It also has a federal structure, which gives regions some self-government. Social unity is also seen in daily life. Festivals such as Dashain, Tihar, Eid, Lhosar, and Buddha Jayanti are celebrated by many communities. They are increasingly treated as public occasions for everyone. People of different backgrounds also live and work together in cities like Kathmandu. The challenge of multiculturalism is to protect minority identities. At the same time, the country must build a shared sense of belonging. Then diversity becomes a strength and not a cause of division.