ABSTRACT
The Newars see themselves as the rightful inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley, the centre of Nepal, and they are the largest single ethnic group within it. In Africa they would be called a ‘host tribe’ since they form a majority in the capital but are a small minority in the country as a whole. Their position in the capital and their long tradition of literacy mean that they are often viewed by others as part of the Establishment. They have a strong sense of cultural identity which has frequently been envied by the self-appointed leaders of other ethnic minorities in Nepal. And yet it is an interesting and remarkable fact that long after Gurung, Limbu, and Magar activists sought to organize politically no Newar, however marginal, ever seemed interested in attempting to form a communal or ethnic political party. By 1995 and early 1996 the possibility of doing so had become part of activist discourse. Why should this have taken so long to come about?
