▁H indu ▁or ▁Buddh ist ▁often ▁practice ▁a ▁syn cret ic ▁bl end ▁of ▁H indu ism , ▁Buddh ism , ▁or ▁anim ist ▁trad itions ), ▁ 4 . 2 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁was ▁Muslim , ▁ 3 . 6 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁followed ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁Kir at ▁M und hum ▁religion ▁and ▁Christian ity ▁was ▁pract iced ▁by ▁ 0 . 4 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁population . ▁ ▁Buddh ist ▁and ▁H indu ▁shr ines ▁and ▁festiv als ▁are ▁respect ed ▁and ▁celebrated ▁by ▁most ▁Nep al ese . ▁C ertain ▁anim ist ▁practices ▁of ▁old ▁ind igen ous ▁relig ions ▁surv ive . ▁ ▁Eth nic ▁and ▁regional ▁equ ity ▁▁ ▁Nep ali ▁was ▁the ▁national ▁language ▁and ▁S ansk rit ▁became ▁a ▁required ▁school ▁subject . ▁Children ▁who ▁spoke ▁Nep ali ▁n atively ▁and ▁who ▁were ▁exposed ▁to ▁S ansk rit ▁had ▁much ▁better ▁ch ances ▁of ▁passing ▁the ▁national ▁exam in ations ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁high ▁school , ▁which ▁meant ▁they ▁had ▁better ▁employ ment ▁prospect s ▁and ▁could ▁continue ▁into ▁higher ▁education . ▁Children ▁who ▁n atively ▁spoke ▁local ▁languages ▁of ▁the ▁Mad h esh ▁and ▁Hills , ▁or ▁Tib et an ▁dialect s ▁prev ail ing ▁in ▁the ▁high ▁mountains ▁were ▁at ▁a ▁considerable ▁dis adv antage . ▁This ▁history ▁of ▁ex clusion ▁couple d ▁with ▁poor ▁prospect s ▁for ▁improvement ▁created ▁gr iev ances ▁that ▁encourag ed ▁many ▁in ▁eth nic ▁communities ▁such ▁as ▁Mad h esi ▁and ▁Th