Kathmandu, 13 Dec: A United Nations study has found that the rate of impunity remains high in Nepal in crimes committed against the Dalit community, including violence related to inter-caste marriages. The study also notes that discrimination against religious minorities is increasing in Nepal and requires urgent attention, according to UN experts.
Speaking at a program held on Friday at the United Nations conference hall in Lalitpur, minority issues expert Prof. Nicolas Levrat presented preliminary findings of a nationwide study conducted over 10 days in Nepal. He stated that while Nepal’s legal and policy frameworks for the protection of minorities are generally progressive and well developed, serious challenges remain in their implementation. Ending centuries-old discriminatory practices was identified as another major challenge.
Prof. Levrat conducted research on discrimination faced by Dalit women, the Badi community, persons with disabilities, Madhesis, Muslims, Christians, and other ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities in Nepal. He is scheduled to present a full report to the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2026.
“The very high rate of impunity in crimes against Dalits is not a good sign for Nepal,” Prof. Levrat said. “According to data from the Office of the Attorney General, 63 percent of cases related to violence against Dalits in 2024 resulted in acquittals.”
According to Prof. Levrat, in most cases involving minorities, complainants or witnesses face social pressure and often withdraw complaints or refuse to testify in court due to a lack of trust in the justice system. “To ensure and empower the rights of minorities, it is essential that those who commit crimes against them are punished,” he said. “It was found that Dalit women face significant difficulties in even registering complaints of sexual violence at police offices.”
Although Dalit desks have been established in all 253 police stations across Nepal, Prof. Levrat noted that these desks largely exist in name only. Since the personnel assigned to these desks are often not from the Dalit community, Dalit individuals face difficulties in accessing justice.
While there is no widespread hostility among religious groups in Nepal, tensions are increasing, particularly between Muslim and Hindu communities in Madhesh Province, according to the UN expert. “Such tensions are often inspired by activities of Hindu groups in India against Muslim communities; however, Nepal has not yet reached a dangerous level of conflict,” he said. He also noted that provisions in Nepal’s Criminal Code prohibiting religious conversion are sometimes used to harass certain religious groups, particularly Christians.
Prof. Levrat explained that individuals from marginalized communities often adopt religions such as Christianity due to socio-economic frustration, but such choices are frequently misinterpreted as forced religious conversion.
He identified limited access to resources and education as major challenges. School uniforms and textbooks impose a financial burden on Dalit and minority families, and some children drop out of school because they do not understand the Nepali language.
“Many Dalits and people from other marginalized communities do not have access to land or immovable property, and in urban areas, some landlords refuse to rent rooms to Dalit students,” he said.
The study also found that women and girls from Dalit and minority communities, persons with disabilities, and members of the third gender face compounded forms of discrimination.
On the issue of refugees, Prof. Levrat noted that Nepal has not ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention. “In particular, Tibetan refugees have not been issued refugee identity cards, resulting in extreme forms of discrimination such as the inability of children to obtain birth registration,” he said.
