Welcome Reception in Honor of Visiting US based Dalit Rights Team

Kathmandu, July 17, 2006. Dalit Welfare Organization (DWO) organized a welcome reception at Hotel Orchid here in honor of visiting a US team of Dalit rights activists including Eva Kasell, President of Boston based organization Empower Dalit Women of Nepal (EDWON) and Bishnu Maya Pariyar, the founder of EDWON and a member of NASO Community and their team members. At the beginning of the program, Ganesh Kaliraj, Executive Director of DWO gave the welcome remarks and Moti Lal Nepali, the chairman of DWO welcomes the guests. At the program Eva Kasell said, their organization will always support Dalit movement to empower Dalit and enable them exercise full human rights. She also disclosed that whenever and wherever she lives she will work for Dalits. She also thanked DWO for organizing such a fitting reception in their honor. Bishnu Maya Pariyar said, the organization NASO Community has been established to help Dalit people in Nepal and build good relations with international networking for mutual understanding and cooperation. She also disclosed that NASO Community is to support NRs. 63,000 to the Dalit family of the victims of Kashmir incident.

Speaking on the program the renowned educationist Dr. Bidhya Nath Koirala said, Dalits should be empowered educationally first so that they could stand everywhere as a capable manpower. The ex-member of National Dalit Commission Sambhu Hajara Paswan said, the guests from America could have learned many things about Dalits in Nepal and they could do many things for the cause of Dalits. The chairman of Jagaran Media Centre Subash Darnal said, everybody who does stand to work for Dalit should work honestly. He reiterated the fact that many Dalit leaders have betrayed Dalits. So it should not be repeated he said, Shanker Prasad Vishwokarma, president of Nepal Vishwokarma Samaj said that the frequent visits of foreign friends to Nepal and Dalit community will enable us to do more works and extend our networking Anita Pariyar and Sunita Sentury stated the immediate need to empower Dalit women. They said, Dalit unity is a must.

At the program, Amy, the treasurer of EDWON US, and Kolin and Looloo, two research scholars of Boston College US and Monick, the research scholar of Clark University US gave their speeches with valuable words. The chairperson of the program Moti Lal Nepali thanked to all distinguished guests for accepting the reception and said they would try their best to extend the relation in all over the world to run Dalits movement with a greater strength. The program was chaired by Moti Lal Nepali and was conducted by Mr. Om Prakash VK Gahatraj. Several leading personalities of Dalit movement in Kathmandu were present in the program.

Report by: Sachin Amatya, DWO, Kathmandu

Eva Kasell emailed later, saying:

I will never forget your warm reception of us. My visit gave me fresh insight into the uphill battle faced by Dalits and women in Nepal, as well as better understanding of how we from the outside can perhaps be of some help. I also came home with a profound admiration for all of you who have fought so hard to rise above your origins, and have committed yourselves to the welfare of all repressed people. It was an honor to be accepted in your midst.