American Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Dalit community known as lowest caste -group in south Asia where majority people belong to the Hindu social hierarchical structure. ‘The deeply rooted belief of Hindus religion, ‘Dalit community is facing caste - based discrimination from Manu period (1250-1000 BCE). In Nepal king Jayasthiti Malla (1380-1394) divided 64 different castes and allotted different tasks, ranks in the caste hierarchy. Later Ram shah (1609-1636),introduce some rules and regulations about the relation between different caste-groups of People outside the Kathmandu Valley too. The national legal code of 1854 was proclaimed that laid out detail’s codes for inter- caste behaviors and specific punishment for their violation of caste hierarchy and their tasks. It was divided 3 groups such as (1) water acceptable, (2) Water unacceptable and (3) untouchable caste group’ (Bennet., 2008). “During the shah Rana era (1769-1951), Nepal had no alternative “institution “or ideologies backed by any economic and political power equivalent to feudal regime. The caste system and the patriarchy gender system of dominant group were enforced by the state. In the Panchayati period (1962-1990) Nepal abolished caste based discrimination in 1963. However, the diversity of languages, Gender, kinship systems and spiritual outlooks of Nepal’s many different social groups were framed as barriers to development that had to be merged to conform to a single common modern Nepali culture” (DFID/The world Bank, 2006). After the people’s movement of 1990 against the Panchayati regime, the new constitution of Nepal had been declared between the agreement of king and leaders from political parties. In the constitution describes that the country as multi-ethnic, multilingual, race and inclusive state. State should be equal responsible to promote their language, culture, script and declared the Nepal is Hindu kingdom. In this era, Dalits community had got some opportunity to use resources and reduce the untouchability practices than panchayat regime. But is not improve their socio-economic status compared to so callnon -Dalits community. In this period the Maoist movement has started to “people revolution” include the issues of Dalit in their policies and program of the revolution. The political movement of 2062/63 established new political system with termination of the constitutional Monarchism Multi party political system and established the Federal Republican State. In new political system declared the free untouchable states of Nepal. The constitution of Nepal 2072 included the Dalit’s rights as fundamental Rights. Under the constitution, Nepal had been brought an Act “Caste- Based Discrimination and Untouchability Act 2011(2068). Nepal implementing this Act for the elimination the untouchability system in Nepal. But still, about 25 percent population has been facing caste -based discrimination. “They are denial to entry in public place (Temple, tea shop, social gathering), not accepted inter-caste marriage, access to utilization of resources”(Bhattachan K. H., 2003). In this paper, I exam the social, economic impact in Dalit community to find out their economic status, social position of Dalits community. I use secondary data/ information of DHS survey report 2022, Population census of 2011, and research articles of some scholars to complete this study.