1Milan Shrestha 2Sedunath Dhakal
1Assistant Professor of Political Science, Central Department of Political Science, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
2Assistant Professor of English, Koteshwor Multiple Campus, affiliated with Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21659/jsae/v2n2/v2n211
[Article History: Received: 02 August 2025. Accepted: 24 October 2025. Published: 10 November 2025]
Abstract
Managing identity politics within a democratic system has turned into a crucial concern for nations like Nepal. To address identity politics, it is necessary to examine and analyze the roots or factors that have fueled identity movements for recognition. This paper focuses on two-fold issues: the first is identifying causes of identity politics, and the second is exploring potential solutions for accommodating identity politics in Nepal, followed by a literature review. Based on the doctrinal method, this paper reviews some key literature available in physical and virtual libraries in order to address those two issues. In the first part, it analyzes the socio-political and legal causes behind the uprising of identity politics in Nepal. Socio-political exclusion in the political apparatus and discriminatory laws against many ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups are major causes of the grooming of identity politics in Nepal. In the second part, this paper has discussed different models of accommodating identity politics, which include basically three dimensions: the first is recognizing identity groups, the second is designing inclusive state structures and institutions, and the third is horizontal and vertical power sharing, under which, the authors believe to accommodate identity politics in Nepal. The first issue covers socio-political values and legal measures, which acknowledge issues of recognition and identity politics. The second issue analyzes the level of state efforts to make a proportional and inclusive state apparatus. The third issue is related to power sharing between the state structure (institutional level) and the segment of society (people’s level).
Keywords: Identity politics, federalism, power-sharing, division of powers, separation of powers.
