Revaluation of Tradition in the Ideology of the Radical Adivasi Resistance 61 Article Balancing between politics and development: The Multiple Roles Played by Indigenous People’s Organisations in Nepal* Masako Tanaka Bunkyo Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan Abstract Indigenous People’s Organisations (IPOs) are emerging agents in Nepal. The Nepal Chepang Association (NCA) is a well-known IPO actively involved in development projects. It is also led by a member of the Nepalese Constituent Assembly who is himself closely affiliated with an outside political party. NCA members juggle non-political responsibilities, such as those relating to development with political responsibilities, thus requiring them to navigate different situations. It is through development projects that NCA attracts its members, yet keeping members satisfied when development projects have reached their end is a challenge. Based on interviews with NCA members, staff, leaders and non-Chepang supporters, this article will illustrate NCA’s different roles and changing perceptions towards the Chepang in Nepal. Keywords Indigenous people, development, Nepal, rights-based approach Introduction ‘Lost in Transition’ 1 is not a Hollywood film but rather a documentary movie produced by the Nepal Chepang Association (NCA) and released in 2007. 2 The film presents the past and present of the Chepang, a semi-nomadic indigenous History and Sociology of South Asia 7(1) 61–78  2013 Jamia Millia Islamia SAGE Publications Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC DOI: 10.1177/2230807512459405 http://hssa.sagepub.com 1 Directed by Pranay Limbu and produced by NCA in association with Centre for Visual Studies in 2007. 2 NCA, Chepang Mainstreaming Programme Final Progress Report, 2004–2007 (Kathmandu: NCA, 2007).