{"id":10466,"date":"2016-11-07T14:36:45","date_gmt":"2016-11-07T08:51:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dorjegurung.com\/blog\/?p=10466"},"modified":"2026-03-13T22:05:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T22:05:17","slug":"structural-privilege-and-khas-privilege","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dorjegurung.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/structural-privilege-and-khas-privilege\/","title":{"rendered":"(Structural) Privilege And Khas Privilege"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"caste-literacy-income-1996\"<\/a>
Source: Trident and Thunderbolt: Cultural Dynamics in Nepalese Politics<\/a>, by Dr. Harka Bahadur Gurung.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A little over a month ago, following a lengthy exchange on Twitter about structural privilege, I posted a series of tweets (totalling 24) explaining structural privilege\/Khas privilege in Nepal. Reproduced below are those very tweets with some explanation where necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A series of tweets about (structural) #privilege<\/a>\u2026the topic of a lot of exchange in the last 24 hours. 1\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> To being with…aLL dogs are canine is a \u201cgeneralisation\u201d that is true. 2\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(In the above tweet, “being” should have been “begin.”)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started with a true proposition because, firstly, many of those I have had exchanges with on Twitter have displayed limited understanding of propositions and their role in inductive and deductive reasoning and in making logical arguments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, there was confusion between true propositions starting with the word ALL and gross\/hasty generalisations. The above statement is a true proposition and NOT a gross or hasty generalization. The statement below is also a true proposition. All dogs are excellent trackers, on the other hand, is a gross generalization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> Similarly, ALL White Americans are born into (White) privilege is another generalisation that\u2019s also true. 3\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Structural privilege — or simply privilege — in the USA is synonymous with White privilege. When someone is talking, generally, about privilege in the United States, they are talking about privilege(s) enjoyed by White Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is so because of the history of the country, including the history of race relations etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> BUT not ALL White Americans BENEFIT EQUALLY from White Privilege. Some benefit more than others. 4\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> Those who benefit a LOT from it may be very highly educated &\/or very wealthy &\/or politically powerful etc. etc. 5\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> Those that benefit very LITTLE from White Privilege could be uneducated and\/or really poor etc. etc. 6\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> Being uneducated &\/or really poor does NOT however mean that those White Americans DON\u2019T enjoy ANY Privilege. They do. 7\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poor White Americans still have access to opportunities and resources, and enjoy social capital etc., that non-white Americans of similar or even better economic standing do NOT enjoy. The social, cultural, religious, economic, political and other systems in the US are such that White Americans, regardless of their economic standing, have an edge over non-whites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> 2 argue there must b White Americans who DON\u2019T benefit from W Privilege is 2 display lack of understanding of term. 8\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(W = white)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> There is NO White American who DOESN’T enjoy ANY White Privilege at all. 9\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, every White American enjoys White privilege. That’s what White privilege means or is!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> To Nepal now.
\n\u2070ALL Chettris and Bahun\/Brahmins are Khas-aryas is also a \u201cgeneralization\u201d that\u2019s true. 10\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(The hill so-called high caste Hindus — Chettris and Brahmins — are also referred to as Khas Arya<\/em> or simply Khas<\/em>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> Similary, ALL Khas-aryas are born into (Khas) Privilege is another \u201cgeneralisation\u201d that\u2019s also true. 11\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n


\nBecause of the particular role the Khas-aryas<\/em> have played in the entire modern social, cultural, religious, political and economic history of the country — basically shaping and establishing the current social, cultural, religious, political and economic structures and systems — those born a Khas-arya<\/em> enjoy privileges that most others don’t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Khas<\/em> in Nepal have created — just as the whites in the US have — structures and systems they have a monopoly over. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To give but just ONE example, a disproportionately high percentage of positions in the three biggest and most important branches of the government — the legislative, the executive and the judicial<\/a> — are held by them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, structural privilege (or simply privilege), in the context of Nepal is synonymous with Khas<\/em> privilege, just as structural privilege in the USA is synonymous with White privilege.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is NOT to say NO Khas<\/em> suffer in any way that others do, nor that NO Khas<\/em> are disadvanged in any way<\/a> in Nepal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> No different from White Privilege, some Khas ppl. benefit from Khas Privilege more than others. 12\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> At 1 end of d spectrum r Khas who benefit a LOT from Privilege & maybe rich &\/or powerful (socially &\/or politically). 13\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Correction: “maybe” should read “may be.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> Khas at other end of spectrum benefit LITTLE from Privilege & so may be very poor &\/or not politically powerful at all. 14\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BUT, poor Khas<\/em> suffer from poverty not BECAUSE they are Bahun or Chhetri.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like poor White Americans, poor Khas<\/em> still enjoy considerably more privileges than other Nepalese in general. For one…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> They r still SOCIALLY powerful however cuz of caste system! They enjoy K Privileges associated with being high castes. 15\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> In other words, Khas ppl who DON\u2019T enjoy ANY K Privilege DON’T exist, just as White ppl. without White Privilege don’t. 16\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(K = Khas.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> Sure there are Non-Khas in Nepal who are considerably privileged &\/or r wealthier &\/or more powerful than many Khas. 17\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> Sure egs. of Dalits more educated than Khas exist. BUT the Khas still enjoy (social) Khas Privileges Dalits don’t. 18\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Non-Khas Nepalese, on the other hand, if poor, they are so partly, if not entirely, BECAUSE they are non-Khas. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, whether rich or poor, non-Khas suffer in a number of different other ways BECAUSE of their jat<\/em> (ethnicity)\/caste .<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some jats<\/em>\/castes suffer more than others. (Dalits more than any other caste for instance.) And within a jat<\/em>\/caste, some families or individuals more than others, obviously. (Hill so-called high caste Hindu families living in the hills or mountains of the Far Western Development region more than those living in Kathmandu, for instance. Female<\/a> members of a family, in general, suffer considerably more than men etc.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The suffering maybe anything from being poor or being a victim of discrimination<\/a> — or being victim of prejudicial attitude — to having limited access to resources or opportunities to being victims of human rights violations<\/a> etc., in some cases throughout their lives<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, a Bhote<\/a> or a Madhesi or a Dalit<\/a> suffer in many ways BECAUSE they are a Bhote or a Madhesi or a Dalit respectively! BECAUSE of their birth as one, even Bhotes, Madhesis and Dalits privileged enough to be wealthy and\/or highly educated, still suffer, in ways that NO hill so-called high caste Hindus do. The peculiar social system of classifying  people — the caste system — ensures that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> Plus, existence of wealthy &\/or powerful NON Khas ppl is NOT proof of evidence of existence of Khas with NO Privilege. 19\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To reiterate, Khas-Aryas<\/em> do NOT suffer linguistic, cultural, social, religious, economic, or political discrimination, from individuals, from institutions or systems, nor do they suffer from violations of some of their most basic human rights etc., whether poor or wealthy, BECAUSE they are Khas-Arya<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s a privilege ALL Khas<\/em> enjoy that others don’t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> If u STILL argue that there are Khas who don\u2019t enjoy ANY Khas Privilege, then u haven\u2019t understood Khas Privilege. 20\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> That argument is like the following argument: non-human humans exists! 21\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> Khas Privilege, by definition, is one enjoyed by ALL Khas people. 22\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> And that is NOT a gross generalization, but a true statement by virtue of definition. 23\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@Dorje_sDooing<\/a> Just as it follows that all dogs r canine by definition\u2026until & unless we change d definition of dog &\/or canine! \ud83d\ude42 \ud83d\ude42 24\/24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dorje Gurung (@Dorje_sDooing) September 23, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

* * * * * * * *<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/p>\n\n\n\n

White Privilege<\/a>. The link is to a meme which says: “White privilege doesn’t<\/strong> mean your life hasn’t been hard; it means that your skin color isn’t one of the things making it harder<\/strong>.” Similarly, we can say this about Khas privilege.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Khas privilege doesn’t<\/strong> mean your life hasn’t been hard; it means that your caste isn’t one of the things making it harder<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

[Added June 7, 2018.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Gate<\/em> (Nov. 2015). The Ain of 1854 and after: Legal pluralism, models of society and ethnicity in Nepal<\/a>. [Added on Nov. 26, 2018.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kathmandu Post<\/em> (Feb. 5, 2019). Structural blindness<\/a>. “The foundation of modern Nepal lies in the caste system of governance.” “Lower castes faced greater punishments than higher castes for the same crime. for example, in 1940, for protesting against the Ranas, Tanka Prasad Acharya, a Brahmin, was imprisoned; his four friends, charged with same crime, were hanged and shot to death.” [Added Feb. 5, 2019.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Structural privilege in Nepal is Khas privilege and, as such, enjoyed by all Khas Nepalese. No Khas Nepalese suffer BECAUSE they are Khas. That is a privilege ALL Khas enjoy. Non-Khas Nepalese, however, suffer in a number of ways BECAUSE they are non-Khas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":10503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"#StructuralPrivilege and #KhasPrivilege #Nepal #KhasArya","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[104],"tags":[507,252,506,386,387,287,614,274,610,304,388],"class_list":["post-10466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-justice","tag-deductive-reasoning","tag-high-caste-hindu","tag-inductive-reasoning","tag-khas-privilege","tag-khas-arya","tag-social-media","tag-structural-issues","tag-structural-privilege","tag-tweets","tag-twitter","tag-white-privilege"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.dorjegurung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/caste-literacy-income-1996-feat-image.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Jbro-2IO","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dorjegurung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dorjegurung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dorjegurung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dorjegurung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dorjegurung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10466"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dorjegurung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29810,"href":"https:\/\/www.dorjegurung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10466\/revisions\/29810"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dorjegurung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dorjegurung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dorjegurung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dorjegurung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}