The International Human Rights Day was observed yesterday (December 10) by various Dalit Rights organizations in Nepal and abroad. The related news and press releases follow:

सन् ०१७ सम्मलाई दलित्ा विकास दशक घोषणा गर्न माग

· नेपाल समाचारपत्र

काठमाडौं। सन् २००७ देखि २०१७ सम्मको अवधिलाई दलित विकासको दशकको रुपमा घोषणा गरिनुपर्ने एजेन्डासहित दलित गैर सरकारी संस्था महासंघले ५८औं अन्तराष्ट्रिय मानव अधिकार दिवस मनायो ।
आईतबार राजधानीमा एक कार्यक्रम आयोजना गरी मनाईएको सो कार्यक्रममा महासंघले मानवहधिकारको सर्न्दर्भमा अन्तराष्ट्रिय महासन्धि, अभिसन्धि घोषणापत्रमा नेपालले हस्ताक्ष्ँण गरेको भए पनि जातीय छुवाछुत तथा भेदभाव गर्नेलाई संरक्षण दिने काम गरेको आरोपसमेत लगाएको छ ।
महासंघले दलित मानवअधिकार प्रत्याभूत गर्न संवैधानिक आरक्षण, समानुपातिक समावेशिकरण, शैक्षिक अधिकार, राजनितिक एवम् कानुनी असधकार लगाएत आधारभूत अधिकारहरुको व्यवस्था गरिनुपर्नेमा जोड दिएको छ ।
कार्यक्रमका प्रमुख अतिथि बालबालिका तथा समाज कल्याण राज्यमन्त्री उर्मिला अर्यालले अँतरिम संविधान मन्त्रिपरिषदरमा पेश भएपछि आफुले दलितको सवालमा आरक्ष्ँणको व्यवस्था गर्न दबाब दिने प्रतिबद्धता व्यक्त गर्नुभयो ।
महासंघका कार्यवाहक अध्यक्ष टेकबहादुर रैकाको सभापतित्वमा सम्पन्न उक्त कार्यक्रममा सहभागी दलितका बुद्धिजीवी एवम नेताहरुले सरकार एवम राजनीतिक दलहरुले दलित अधिकारलाई वास्ता नगरेको र मानव अधिकार दिवस दलितहरुको लागि दन्त्य कथा भएको भन्दै आलोचना गरेका थिए ।

कार्यक्रममा उमालेकी नेता शान्ता मानवी, हिरा विश्वकर्मा, राष्ट्रिय दलित आयोगका पर्ूवसदस्यसचिव हरिबहादुर गान्धारी, सदस्य मीन बिश्वकर्मा, राष्ट्रिय सभाका पर्ूवसासंद विजुल विश्वकर्मा, महासंघका महासचिव बमबहादुर विश्वकर्मा लगनयतले राजनितिक क्रान्तिले मात्र दलित अधिकार स्थापित हुन नसक्ने बताउदै आर्थिक र सामाजिक क्रान्ति गर्नेपर्ने उल्लेख गरेका थिए । उनीहरुले जातीय भेदभाव अन्त्यको लागि राष्ट्रले राष्ट्रिय संकल्पका रुपमा लिएर अघि बढेनुपर्ने बताएका छन् ।

Posted by Suman Paudel from Kathmandu.

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International Commission for Dalit Rights (ICDR)’s Releases a Press Statment

“Caste-based discrimination cause of poverty and violation of human rights”- ICDR

On the eve of international human rights day on December 10, International Commission for Dalit Rights (ICDR), a London based organization, urged the Nepal Government and Seven Party Alliance (SPA) plus Maoist to consider Dalit rights as a major agenda of state-reformation and Constituent Assembly. “In many countries including India, Dalit people are the victims of extrajudicial executions, torture, and rape and other forms of discriminations and ignorance in the democratic process. Dalit and other minorities are also internally displaced due to conflict, caste-based discrimination and violation. Democracy and good governance process must cover Dalit and minorities agendas for sustainable peace, progress and social justice. “, said an ICDR release.

The press statement signed by ICDR Secretary General D Bishwakarma Sagar said, “Over the years, 260 million Dalit people in the world have been facing caste (work and descent) based discrimination and obstacles to fully enjoy their fundamental and socio-political rights. Caste or work and descent based discrimination is major cause of human rights violation and poverty in the South Asia and part of Africa. Without addressing caste-issue in South Asia, it is impossible to fight poverty as the theme of International Human Rights Day 2006. Dalit people have not been able to protect and promote their rights in Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other parts of Asia and some of the African Countries due to deep poverty and lack of access. Sadly, the UN, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other international policies have not been addressing caste-agenda as a major challenge of poverty, barrier of democratic process, human rights and social justice. However, global human rights and social justice movement have been trying to build solidarity and supports to establish Dalit rights in the contemporary world. “.

Courtesy: D B Sagar
Secretary General, International Commission for Dalit Rights
ICG House Room-301, Station Approach, Greenford,
London, UB6 0AL, United Kingdom
Email: icdr_dalitrights@yahoo.com
or
National Dalit NGO Federation (DNF), Central Office, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Email: dbsagar@dnfnepal.org , Web-site: www.dnfnepal.org

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Dalits in interim statute draft panel unable to raise voice: Leaders

Himalayan News Service
Kathmandu, December 10:

State minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Urmila Aryal and CPN-UML central committee member Shanta Manavi today criticised Dalit representatives in the Interim Constitution Dra-fting Committee for being unable to fetch anything for deprived community.
It was a ‘tit-for-tat game’ between speakers at an interaction on “Issues of Dalit Human Rights” organised by Dalit NGO Federation. The speakers were ‘urging’ each other to fight for the rights of the Dalits. The function was organised to mark 58th International Human Rights Day.
Dalit speakers urged state minister Aryal and Manavi to raise their voice for the Dalit communities in a rather aggressive tone. Aryal and Manavi suggested the victims pressurise the government.

“I am probably the first person to begin politics by raising the issues of the Dalits,” Aryal said, adding that she would do her best to support the cause of the downtrodden communities.

“What did Min Bahadur Biswokarma (representative for the Dalits) say at the ICDC? Representation alone is not sufficient when the representatives cannot stand with the agendas,” Aryal said. Manavi said he should have called on the Dalit leadership if he was unable to negotiate. Aryal said that a budget of Rs 10 crores has been allocated for the Dalits which will be released by the Ministry of Local Development every year.
Former Member of Parliament Bijul Biswokarma said that even after the April movement, higher class people abound in the state mechanism.
“We won’t accept any form of autocracy,” he said, adding that the political leaders were also following the path of the king which was ‘unfortunate’

Posted by Suman Paudel