-Caveat Lector- Nepal: Marginalized Minorities Threaten Political Revolt Inter Press Service 26-JAN-99 KATHMANDU, (Jan. 25) IPS - Multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, Nepal's image of communal peace and tranquillity is really a fragile facade, political analysts warn. That image, they say, glosses over the simmering disquiet among dozens of large and small neglected ethnic minorities who resent the absolute control exercised by the Hindu upper castes and are now reaching out for a share of political power. Nepal is the only country in the world where Hindu is the official state religion, and it could end up buffeted by ethnic violence like that in neighboring countries, the experts say. An umbrella group of ethnic minorities, the Federation of Nepali Nationalities (FNN), which is spearheading the cause of indigenous communities, recently set forth demands for autonomy, previously unheard of in Nepal. "What we are seeing now is the rising aspirations of nationalities and ethnic communities who want more say in the nation's affairs," observed Dr. Krishna Bhattachan, a social scientist at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan University. "Aspirations that have been forcibly repressed over the decades are coming out into the open. If the issue is not handled sensitively, then peace and harmony could be in danger," he said. Such warnings have been repeated since 1990, when the Himalayan kingdom finally broke with three decades of autocracy and established a multi-party democracy after a violent student-led pro-democracy uprising. In the days before Nepal liberalized its political system, heavy- handed state policies helped to check nationalistic currents. Only allegiance to the state and the all-powerful monarchy was tolerated. But that changed with the new constitutional order. The new environment of openness and plurality gave free rein to the expression of all sorts of beliefs, including autonomy for ethnic minorities and nationalities. In its first ever national conference held early this month in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu, the Federation of Nepali Nationalities blasted the ruling elite for hogging political power, and warned of escalating protests if the situation was not remedied soon. Indeed, most of Nepal's political parties are led by members of the Hindu upper castes -- Brahmins and Kshatriyas. A study by Dr. Bhattachan showed that nearly two-thirds of the seats in parliament are occupied by members of upper caste communities. They also dominate the state bureaucracy. Suresh Ale Magar, a Federation leader, said that despite the large numbers of minorities scattered across the land, ethnic groups have long been sidelined from holding any real political power by the upper classes. Suresh Ale is a member of the Magar, an indigenous people living in the high Himalayas. Minority groups are also resentful of the attempt to impose Hinduism on them. Although many groups claim to be non-Hindus, the government census of 1991 showed that 86.51 percent of Nepal's population identified themselves as Hindus. Fueling the resentment is a recent state decision to ban the use of ethnic languages by local government councils in such ethnic strongholds as the capital city of Kathmandu, and Rajbiraj, a town near the Indian border. Among other things, the Federation is also demanding quotas for minorities in government institutions and jobs. But Nepal's political parties are paying scant attention to the simmering anger of the country's ethnic groups. Instead of dealing with the problem, for the last eight years politicans have been preoccupied with power tussles, which have brought down six successive governments. Last week, Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala announced new elections on May 4 to settle another round of infighting that almost resulted in the ouster of his coalition government. Years of political instability has shaken the people's faith in their democratically elected leaders' ability to rule. "The government is blind to the aspirations of communities," asserted Padma Ratna Tuladhar, a communist lawmaker from Kathmandu and a representative of the Newar community, who are indigenous to the Kathmandu Valley. The Newar language has been banned from the Kathmandu municipality. "Cultures and languages should be allowed to flourish. But instead, more repressive methods are being used," he lamented. The Maoist insurgency that has erupted in several districts in rural Nepal arose partly because of this alienation, experts have said. Large numbers of the rural poor and lower castes, as well as alienated ethnic communities, have joined the insurgents, they add. Some fear the Maoists could link up with the disgruntled ethnic minorities. Gore Bahadur Khapangi, a lower caste leader of a minority group, recently denied links with the Maoists. But under further questioning, he admitted to being ideologically sympathetic to them. ================================= Robert F. Tatman [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Remove "nospam" from the address to reply. NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml POSTING THIS MESSAGE TO THE INTERNET DOES NOT IMPLY PERMISSION TO SEND UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL E-MAIL (SPAM) TO THIS OR ANY OTHER INTERNET ADDRESS. 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