Religious Marginalization and Livelihood Transformation of the Community

Abstract

This study investigates the changing livelihood strategies of the Danuwar community in Tama Ghat, Nepal, focusing on the intersection of economic adaptation, cultural identity, and religious marginalization. As an indigenous group historically positioned at the religious and socio-political margins, the Danuwars have long faced systemic exclusion from land ownership, education, and formal institutions. Employing a qualitative, multi-paradigmatic methodology that integrates ethnography and autoethnography, the study explores how globalization, infrastructure development, and dominant religious hierarchies have shaped the shift from traditional subsistence practices to wage labor, foreign migration, and market-oriented agriculture. While modern tools and increased mobility have improved access to income opportunities, they have also accelerated the erosion of traditional agricultural knowledge, religious customs, and indigenous language. This disruption of cultural and religious identity undermines the community’s resilience and cohesion. The study emphasizes the need for development models that are both culturally sensitive and religiously inclusive, allowing marginalized groups like the Danuwars to regain agency over their livelihood and heritage.