Damai

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Damai
दमाइँ
Playing Damaha.jpg
Damai men playing traditional Damaha
Regions with significant populations
Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal 565,932 (1.9% of Nepal's population) (2021) [1]
Languages
Kalautya Rudika (Damai kura)Nepali (Khas kura)
Religion
Shamanism, Buddhism, Hinduism 96.59% (2011), Christianity 3.22% (2011) [2]
Related ethnic groups
Khas people, Kami, Badi, Sarki, Gandarbha/Gaine

Damai (Nepali : दमाइँpronounced [dʌmaĩ] ; IAST: Damāĩ) is an occupational caste found among Khas people comprising 45 subgroups. [3] Their surnames take after the subgroup they belong to. [4] People belonging to this caste are traditionally tailors [3] and musicians capable of using the naumati baja - an ensemble of nine traditional musical instruments. [4] The term Damai is coined from the musical instrument Damaha. The 1854 Nepalese Muluki Ain (Legal Code) categorized Damai as "Lower caste” category. [5]

Contents

The Government of Nepal abolished the caste-system and criminalized any caste-based discrimination, including "untouchability" in 1963. [6] The country, previously ruled by a Hindu monarchy was a Hindu nation which has now become a secular state. [7] It was declared a republic in 2008, [8] thereby ending it as the Hindu kingdom with its caste-based discriminations and the untouchability roots. [9]

According to the 2021 Nepal census, Damai make up 1.94% of Nepal's population (or 565,932 people). [10] Damai are categorized under "Hill Dalit" among the 9 broad social groups, along with Kami, Badi, Sarki and Gaine by the Government of Nepal. [11]

Geographical distribution

At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, the frequency of Damai by province was as follows:

The frequency of Damai was higher than national average (1.8%) in the following districts: [12]

References

  1. ↑ National Statistics Office (2021). National Population and Housing Census 2021, Caste/Ethnicity Report. Government of Nepal (Report).
  2. ↑ Central Bureau of Statistics (2014). Population monograph of Nepal (PDF) (Report). Vol. II. Government of Nepal.
  3. 1 2 Whelpton 2005, p. 31.
  4. 1 2 The Splendour of Sikkim- Culture and Traditions of the Ethnic Communities of Sikkim. Cultural Affairs and Heritage Department, Government of India. 2017. p. 81.
  5. ↑ Gurung, Harka (2005) Social Exclusion and Maoist Insurgency. Paper presented at National Dialogue Conference at ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal peoples, Kathmandu, 19–20 January 2005.
  6. ↑ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Nepal: Deadly caste-based attacks spur outcry over social discrimination | DW | 16.06.2020". DW.COM. Retrieved 2021-02-28.
  7. ↑ "Nepal king stripped of most powers". CNN. 18 May 2006. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  8. ↑ "Nepal votes to abolish monarchy". BBC News . 28 May 2008. Archived from the original on 7 January 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  9. ↑ Crossette, Barbara (3 June 2001). "Birenda, 55, Ruler of Nepal's Hindu Kingdom". The New York Times . Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  10. ↑ National Statistics Office (2021). National Population and Housing Census 2021, Caste/Ethnicity Report. Government of Nepal (Report).
  11. ↑ "Nepal Census 2011" (PDF).
  12. ↑ "2011 Nepal Census, District Level Detail Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2023-03-20.

Bibliography

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