Damai

{{Short description|Khas occupational caste}}

{{other uses}}

{{infobox ethnic group

| group = Damai

| native_name = दमाइँ

| native_name_lang = ne

| image = Playing Damaha.jpg

| image_caption = Damai men playing traditional Damaha

| region1 = {{flag|Nepal}}

| pop1 = 565,932 (1.9% of Nepal's population) (2021){{cite report |date=2021 |title=National Population and Housing Census 2021, Caste/Ethnicity Report |author=National Statistics Office |work=Government of Nepal |url=https://censusnepal.cbs.gov.np/results/downloads/caste-ethnicity}}

| region2 = India, Bhutan and Burma

| langs = Kalautya Rudika (Damai kura)Nepali (Khas kura)

| rels = Shamanism, Buddhism, Hinduism 96.59% (2011), Christianity 3.22% (2011){{cite report |date=2014 |title=Population monograph of Nepal |volume=II |author=Central Bureau of Statistics |publisher=Government of Nepal |url=https://nepal.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Population%20Monograph%20V02.pdf}}

| related = Khas people, Kami, Badi, Sarki, Gandarbha/Gaine

}}

Damai ({{langx|ne|दमाइँ}} {{IPA|ne|dʌmaĩ|pron}}; IAST: Damāĩ) is an occupational caste found among Khas people comprising 45 subgroups.{{sfn|Whelpton|2005|p=31}} Their surnames take after the subgroup they belong to. People belonging to this caste are traditionally tailors{{sfn|Whelpton|2005|p=31}} and musicians capable of using the naumati baja - an ensemble of nine traditional musical instruments.{{Cite book|title=The Splendour of Sikkim- Culture and Traditions of the Ethnic Communities of Sikkim|publisher=Cultural Affairs and Heritage Department, Government of India|year=2017|pages=81|language=English}} The term Damai is coined from the musical instrument Damaha. The 1854 Nepalese Muluki Ain (Legal Code) categorized Damai as "Lower caste” category.Gurung, Harka (2005) Social Exclusion and Maoist Insurgency. Paper presented at National Dialogue Conference at ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal peoples, Kathmandu, 19–20 January 2005.

The Government of Nepal abolished the caste-system and criminalized any caste-based discrimination, including "untouchability" in 1963.{{Cite web|last=Welle (www.dw.com)|first=Deutsche|title=Nepal: Deadly caste-based attacks spur outcry over social discrimination {{!}} DW {{!}} 16.06.2020|url=https://www.dw.com/en/nepal-deadly-caste-based-attacks-spur-outcry-over-social-discrimination/a-53827719|access-date=2021-02-28|website=DW.COM|language=en-GB}} The country, previously ruled by a Hindu monarchy was a Hindu nation which has now become a secular state.{{cite news|date=18 May 2006|title=Nepal king stripped of most powers|publisher=CNN|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/05/18/nepal.king/|access-date=18 April 2020}} It was declared a republic in 2008,{{cite news|date=28 May 2008|title=Nepal votes to abolish monarchy|work=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7424302.stm|url-status=live|access-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107130737/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7424302.stm|archive-date=7 January 2017}} thereby ending it as the Hindu kingdom with its caste-based discriminations and the untouchability roots.{{cite news|last=Crossette|first=Barbara|author-link=Barbara Crossette|date=3 June 2001|title=Birenda, 55, Ruler of Nepal's Hindu Kingdom|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/03/world/birenda-55-ruler-of-nepal-s-hindu-kingdom.html|access-date=18 April 2020}}

According to the 2021 Nepal census, Damai make up 1.94% of Nepal's population (or 565,932 people).{{cite report |date=2021 |title=National Population and Housing Census 2021, Caste/Ethnicity Report |author=National Statistics Office |work=Government of Nepal |url=https://censusnepal.cbs.gov.np/results/downloads/caste-ethnicity}} Damai are categorized under "Hill Dalit" among the 9 broad social groups, along with Kami, Badi, Sarki and Gaine by the Government of Nepal.{{Cite web|url=https://unstats.un.org/unsD/demographic/sources/census/wphc/Nepal/Nepal-Census-2011-Vol1.pdf|title=Nepal Census 2011}}