ABSTRACT
In recent years more and more ethnic organizations have been established in Nepal with the aim to represent the interests of the various ethnic groups within the national context and to preserve their cultural heritage. For example the Tamang have the Nepal Tamang Ghedung (founded in 1956), the Tharu have the Tharu Kalyan Karini Sabha (‘Tharu Welfare Society’, since 1949), the Thakali have the Thakali Sewa Samiti (since 1982), the Newar have the Nepal Bhasha Manka Khalah (since 1979), the Limbu have the Kirat Yakthung Chumlung, and the Rai have, since 1988, the organization called Kirat Rai Yayokkha. 1 Since the restoration of multi-party democracy and the promulgation of the new constitution in 1990 such organizations have come out more openly and gained new political importance. Twenty of them have joined to form the Nepal Janajati Mahasangh (‘Nepal Federation of Nationalities’), which was founded in July 1990. What had been non-issues during the Panchayat days (multi-ethnic society, secular state, privileging backward groups) have since become a matter of much public debate. Though some have informal links with political parties which represent ethnic issues (e.g. Rastriya Janamukti Party, Mongol National Organization), these organizations usually are not aligned with specific parties. 2 It is true that they are becoming now more active in the political arena, but generally their aim is above all to maintain and strengthen a cultural identity based on ethnicity.
