Multiculturalism in Nepal: An approach towards social cohesion and peaceful society
Author: Nitu Rauniyar
Multiculturalism is “a system of beliefs and behaviors that recognizes and respects the presence of all diverse groups in an organization or society, acknowledges and values their sociocultural differences, and encourages and enables their continued contribution within an inclusive cultural context which empowers all within the organization or society”- Caleb Rosado (1997)
In general, multiculturalism as a concept acknowledges diverse ethnicities, castes, languages, religion and cultures, especially of the minority and marginalized groups, developing an inclusive atmosphere of belongingness, perspectives and opportunities. In the context of Nepal, the Constitution (2015) states the country as a multiethnic, multireligious, multicultural and multilingual nation. Rightly so, embedded in such diverse characteristics is the rich tapestry of folk cultures, traditions, music, arts, and cultural heritages, that suggests that diverse sociocultural communities are a source of strength, pride and asset for the country and its people.
However, contradictory to this strength, Nepal’s diversity has also created space for some observable as well as underlying differences. When one looks back at Nepal’s history, the period of armed conflict (1996-2006) highlighted the underlying issues of social and political exclusion, especially of the minority and marginalized groups. Abolition of caste-based discrimination and all discrimination against untouchability, that came as one of the consequences of the civil war, shows Nepal’s initiative to promote inclusion and social cohesion. However, while Nepal has taken a step towards a just society, the change is limited to superficial level rather than being substantive and sustainable. That is unless we can bring a change in people’s perspectives and practices.
It is important to emphasize Nepal government’s commendable initiatives focused to eliminating all kinds of discrimination, untouchability and promote, embrace and value Nepal’s diverse communities through laws and policies. However, being a student of sociology with keen interest in understanding the interrelations between culture and society, I believe that having laws and policies is not enough. Practices of discrimination are deep-rooted to such an extent that its’ elimination needs change in perspective of individuals in the society.
In my opinion, multiculturalism fosters respect, and values for all cultures. In a society that recognizes and embraces multicultural principles, people of different castes, religions, ethnicity and language can enjoy an inclusive environment. More importantly, through my childhood experiences, as a part of an ethnic community, I have come across certain incidents which have led me to realize the importance of multiculturalism that goes beyond one’s home and community, and into the education system and learning environment. Such personal experiences have made me realize that a person can feel excluded in large and diverse groups due to their ethnicity and language barriers, but through multicultural beliefs and inclusive curriculum and teaching practices in school, youths can be nurtured to acknowledge and value different ethnicities and languages, breaking barriers of past discriminatory experiences.
Now, moving forward from my personal perspectives to a macro sphere, and focusing on Nepal’s scenario, after the decade-long conflict ended, with the country transitioning to a federal democratic republican country, government of Nepal and civil society continue to work towards a more inclusive, peaceful and cohesive society. However, with still-existent deep-rooted issues of exclusion, discrimination, inequality, and marginalization, Nepal is still facing challenges to address these issues.
The present discourse highlights some of the most pressing challenges that are hindering the optimization of the benefits of a multicultural society-
- Passive participation of citizens, especially from marginalized and minority groups in governance and policy making processes.
- Lack of effectiveness of the education system, including the curriculum and learning environment to foster a multicultural and socially cohesive society
- Economic instabilities worsened by clashes between political aspirations, economic imperatives and economic leadership and vision.
Multiculturalism: A way to build cohesive societies
As discussed, the issues of passive participation, education inequality and economic instability are some of the challenges that Nepal is currently facing and tackling through different action plans and policy frameworks. To address this issue, I believe that multiculturalism can be an interesting and effective approach that is based on principles of integration and social cohesion. As a practice, this approach can help embrace and respect one another irrespective of their culture, religion, language, region and ethnicity.
Furthermore, multiculturalism acknowledges, encourages and enables contribution of all diverse groups, overcoming passive participation of minorities and marginalized groups. Further, participation of marginalized communities in decision-making programs can help enhance the quality of policy formulation and implementation mechanisms (Dahal et al., 2013).
As I reflected in the above sections, multicultural education system is another important practice that needs to be part of Nepal’s education, as its’ lack can increase the chances of identity conflicts or cultural fragmentations, as the curriculum will potentially focus on dominant culture or groups only. Furthermore, multicultural teachings can help avoid cultural generalization as all ethnic, cultural and lingual groups are equally respected and recognized in school and society (Subedi, 2013).
Finally, multiculturalism fosters innovative and economic growth empowering sociocultural differences. As Nepal is rich in cultural heritages, temples, architectures, folk culture, food, dances and music, concepts of cultural village and open museums in historical, cultural and ethnic communities can be great initiative to introduce Nepal’s cultural beauty globally and further preserve and promote cultural heritage sites through cultural tourism industry. An event that created a platform for the different ethnic community of all seven provinces to participate in cultural dance program on World Tourism Day 2022 in Lalitpur shows an engaging step towards acknowledging differences, provide respect and recognition and creating inclusive and equal opportunities within a society.
With multiculturalism, the programs and practices embraced can help bring people together and create a platform that showcases the country’s richness in various areas. Further, the approach enhances Nepal’s cultural diversity and creates opportunities for the people to participate actively and benefit from the country’s economic, social and political development.
References
Dahal et al. 2013. Examining Marginalized Communities and Local Conservation Institutions: The Case of Nepal’s Annapurna Conservation Area. Environmental Management 53, 219–230.
Subedi, D. (2013). Multicultural Classroom Issues in the Nepalese Context. Journal of Education and Research.
About the Author
Ms. Nitu Rauniyar is currently serving as a ‘Junior Research Fellow’ at Centre for Social Change. She has completed her Master’s degree in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University.