Published Paper Details:

Abstract: Nepal serves as a buffer between China's Tibetan region and India's economic and demographic core. In the 1940s-50s, when there was a wave of democratisation in South Asia, Nepal also experienced its democracy. Although Nepal's democratic journey is unlike other South Asian states like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, which emerged as independent states from the colonial British rule, Nepal experienced its democracy by gaining freedom from the Oligarchic Rana rulers. Nepal experienced democracy in many phases, but we can see from the very first, when Nepal was formed, there was a lack of egalitarianism. Prithvi Narayan Shah, who significantly shaped the modern state of Nepal by conquering and annexing numerous small kingdoms, gave the high-caste Hindus from the hill region a significant upper hand in the political sphere, which created discontent among the various ethnic groups in Nepal. Political representation, social, economic inclusion in the Nepali state, citizenship, and languages are critical concerns that fuel significant dissatisfaction among the marginalised communities of Nepal. This article examines the struggle of marginalised communities for equality and justice in the democratic transition phases of Nepal. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part examines the various phases of democratic transformation in Nepal. The second chapter discusses the challenges faced by marginalised communities that hinder their inclusion in the nation-state of Nepal. The third part highlights the demands and the reality of inclusion in Nepal's democratic transformation.