Driven by the sting of childhood discrimination, I sought to "escape" Nepal at a young age. Over two decades of living and working across the globe transformed me, allowing me to find a sense of humanity that transcends borders. I finally broke free from the cultural constraints that tried to define my potential, discovering that I am a human being first and a nationality second.
The entire history of Nepal is characterized by structural discrimination and systemic casteism, initiated by Prithvi Narayan Shah, the founder of the country. Evidence of these structures—from the highest levels of federal government to the smallest local offices—abounds, if you care to look. The Nepal Army, the institution responsible for the nation’s safety and security, is just one example. A disproportionately high percentage of those who head the institution are hill so-called 'high-caste' Hindu men.
Excluding the brief direct rule by former King Gyanendra following a 2005 coup, in its 250+-year history, Nepal has had four regimes, all led by the Khas-aryas, the Tagadhaaris (the Hill so-called high caste Hindus). The result: the country remains one of the poorest in the world.
One of the main reasons for this poverty is the deliberately suppressed and low level of education among the population.
The New Nepal must have a representative government and prioritize education above all else if it hopes to make progress.
The caste system has corrupted the minds of a vast majority of Nepalis, if not all. This is yet another example of how it has corrupted the minds of the Hill so-called High Caste Hindus.
Blinded as they are by structural privilege and their sense of entitlement their social group has enjoyed for generations, they demonstrate subtle internalized casteism stemming from their unconscious belief in superiority and greater knowledgeability.
Nepali society suffers greatly from the legacies of our long casteist history. One of the legacies is that caste can be triggering. What it triggers and how depends on the individual and more importantly on their caste. However, the abysmally poor quality of education system and poor level of education of the population of Nepal means that most don't know much about that, and worse react inappropriately when those who are triggered speak up.
BUT those who don't know, can learn about all that from those small numbers who are speaking up. All that is required of them is to listen! That's it.
Studies in the US have demonstrated differential treatment of black students by white teachers affecting their learning outcomes as well as, in the long-term, their lives. 80% of public school teachers in the US are white.
In Nepal, disproportionately high percent of school teachers are Khas-aryas, the hill so-called high caste Hindu. How do they treat students belonging to other castes? Likely not the same way they do their caste and that likely has affected the educational achievements of students of other castes, as well as their lives later on.
