Indigenous Nationalities of Nepal PDF Print E-mail
Friday, 01 August 2008 09:20

Who are the Indigenous Nationalities of Nepal? A total of 61 Adibasi Janajatis were identified in the Report prepared by the Task Force formed by Nepal Government for the Establishment of the Foundation for the Upliftment of Nationalities, and duly submitted in 1996.

The Task Force Report explains the bases for the identification of the 61 nationalities called "Janajatis".

Accordingly, a Nationality or Janajati, as per the Report's own relevant content, is that community who has its own mother tongue and traditional culture and yet does not fall under the conventional fourfold VARNA of the HINDU VARNA system or the Hindu hierarchical caste structure.

Each Indigenous Nationality or Janajati has the following characteristics:

  • A distinct collective identity;
  • Own language, religion, tradition, culture and civilisation;
  • Own traditional egalitarian social structure;
  • Traditional homeland or geographical area;
  • Written or oral history;
  • Having "We" feeling;
  • Has had no decisive role in the politics and government of modern Nepal;
  • Who are the indigenous or native peoples of Nepal; and
  • Who declares itself as "Janajati".

As per the definition of "Janajati" in the Act enacted by Government of Nepal (see below), it declares to the effect that ""indigenous nationalities" means a tribe or community as mentioned in the schedule having its own mother language and traditional rites and customs, distinct cultural identity, distinct social structure and written or unwritten history."

The Nepali "Janajatis" or 'Indigenous Nationalities' are spread out almost in every part of the country.

As per the newly enacted National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities Act, 2002 AD ("Adibasi Janajati Utthan Rastriya Pratishthan, 2058 BS" in Nepali), Nepal Government has identified fifty-nine (59) Indigenous Nationalities that fit in with those characteristics.

To illustrate the above claims, the following list shows the distribution of the 59 Indigenous Nationalities in the four regions of Nepal:

Mountain (Himalaya) - 18
Hills - 23
Inner Terai - 7
Terai - 11
Source: www.nfdin.gov.np

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