Feminist Review

This study examines the gender dynamics of inter-caste romantic relationships (Dalit/non-Dalit) among Maoist combatants during Nepal’s insurgency (1996–2006). Sixty open-ended interviews were conducted in 2018–2022 with former combatants and leaders in mid-west Nepal, where the Maoist insurgency originated and spread. Drawing on a feminist intersectional perspective, the study reveals that despite the Maoist Party’s ideological promotion of inter-caste marriage as a revolutionary praxis, combatants’ lived experiences exhibited deep contradictions. Despite their ideological commitments, combatants considered broader practices, such as family expectations and societal perceptions, when selecting partners. Women combatants (Dalit and non-Dalit) expressed significant apprehension and actively sought family approval due to the fear of social rejection and future instability, whereas men largely bypassed familial consultations. Furthermore, partner selection frequently relied on enduring caste stereotypes, gendered expectations of labour and ‘worldly’ criteria such as occupation, physical appearance and talent, mirroring broader societal norms that the revolution sought to dismantle and reflecting both the limitations and adaptability of the Maoist ideology in navigating personal and social identities. The study concludes that intimate relationships are a critical site at which revolutionary ideology falters, failing to overcome entrenched patriarchy, caste hierarchies and social constraints, particularly for women, thus highlighting the limits of structural transformation within the movement.

This autoethnography, structured as a short story, traces my journey from childhood to my current role as a female researcher exploring the subversive possibilities of bisexuality in an urban Indian context as part of my doctoral research. My early beliefs were shaped by the social norms of my convent education, a Catholic upbringing and community, each reinforcing a rigid understanding of morality, relationships and sexuality. Through ethnography, I navigate between personal experiences and academic inquiry, encountering unresolved questions and contradictions that challenged these foundational beliefs. This short story highlights the complexities of living within structures that impose normative ideals, social expectations and moral standards, as well as the realities of everyday deviations. It further interrogates the essence of morality while positioning myself as a woman in society and reflecting on how my socialisation and lived experiences influenced my moral reasoning. By situating my personal journey within broader sociocultural contexts, this narrative ultimately questions the hegemonic patriarchal heteronormative and homonormative structures based on monogamy and monosexuality, offering a critical lens on how sexuality is constructed and negotiated in contemporary society.