Il revival etnico-religioso delle minoranze del Nepal contemporaneo

In contemporary Nepal, the so-called revival of ethnic minorities is undoubtedly one of the most relevant political dynamics unfold - ing in the Himalayan country. Tied to the major political events of the last decades, and especially since the first people movements of the 1990s and throughout the Maoist insurgency, issues related to indigeneity, multiculturalism, secularism and religious freedom were always included in the janajāti ādivāsī movement’s agenda. After the transformation of the country into a republic, in 2008, the hegemony of Hinduism as a state-sponsored religion and ideology was shattered, paving the way to a deep transformation of the state along more inclusive criteria. In this context, previously marginalized or oppressed groups emerge to visibility, and negotiate space, legitimacy and status vis-à-vis the state and other groups. In this paper, the author gives an overview of processes in and around the religious field, highlighting some of the dynamics currently unfolding in Nepal.