Naumule Rural Municipality has enacted the Naumule Cultural and Tourism Protection and Promotion Act, 2082, establishing a local legal framework to protect the rights, governance systems, and cultural heritage of the Magar Indigenous Peoples.
Grounded in the Constitution of Nepal, ILO Convention No. 169, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the Act recognizes the Bheja system of Magar self-governance and the Kachari, the customary justice system. It also grants official recognition to traditional leaders—including the Mukhiya, Ghatu, Pujari, and Jhankri—while preserving the role of Toll Bhela (Village assemblies) in maintaining community-based governance practices.
The legislation also protects Indigenous languages, knowledge systems, and customary rights over lands, including Kharka (collective communal grazing areas) and Khoriya (lands where the cultivation and planting of food grains are first initiated), while affirming collective rights over land and forests. It also commits to preserving Magar mother tongues and cultural heritage.
The Act reflects the municipality’s efforts to recognize Indigenous governance systems, customary land rights, and cultural heritage within its local legal framework.
