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पवित्रा सुनार

सडक पेटीमा जुत्ता टालेर जीवन धान्दै आएका सहिद चन्द्र वयलकोटीको परिवारको पीडा अझै सेलाएको छैन र उनी लगायत अन्य तीनजना दलित सहिदले अधिकारको खातिर जीवन आहुति दिएको एक वर्षपनि पुगेको छैन । चाहे नेपाल एकीकरणको आन्दोलनमा होस् या शाहीसत्ता विरुद्धको आन्दोलन, चाहे माओवादी जनयुद्धमा होस्, जीउज्यान दिएर संर्घष्ा गर्नेमा दलितहरू अग्रपंक्तिमा पर्छन् । हाम्रो सामु इतिहास साक्षी छ । राष्ट्रिय हितका आन्दोलनमा मात्र नभएर स्वयम् दलित मुक्ति आन्दोलनका खातिर दलितले करिब ८ दसक अघिदेखि आन्दोलन गर्दै आएका छन् । जुनसुकै परिवर्तन भए पनि दलितका अधिकार दिने सवालमा सत्तासीन वर्गले कन्जुस्याइ“ गरेको देखिन्छ । (more…)

“आज देश एक्कासौं शताब्दिको नयाँ नेपालको खाका कोर्ने मोडमा आइपुगेको छ । यस बखत राज्यका जिम्मेवार शक्तिहरुले छुवाछूत मुक्त राष्ट्रको घोषणलाई मर्ूतरुप दिन र न्यायसंगत र लोकसहभागितामा आधारित राष्ट्र निर्माणको आवश्यकतालाई मनन गरी यस महान प्रकृयामा महिलाका अतिरिक्त दलित, आदिबासी जनजाति, मधेशी र अल्पसंख्यक धार्मिक समुहरु समेतको न्यायोचित सहभागिता गराइएमा मात्र नयाँ नेपालको परिकल्पना साकार हुन सक्छ ।”

- रत्नबहादुर बागचन्द

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समुदायकै गौरव- मायासिंह नेपाली

- कुमार सुब्बा

मायासिंह नेपाली (२१) का निम्ति सार्वजनिक जीवनमा प्रतिभाशाली व्यक्तिका रूपमा आफूलाई उभ्याउनु सजिलो थिएन। तर उनले धैर्य त्यागिनन् बरु इच्छाशक्तिलाई दृढ बनाइरहिन्। अहिले वादी जातिकै पहिलो सञ्चारकर्मी बनेर मायाले सानै उमेरदेखिको आफनो चाहनालाई मूर्तरुप दिएकी छन्। भन्छिन्, “सानैदेखि केही फरक, आफनो समुदायले नगरेको काम गर्ने मेरो चाहना थियो।”

तस्बिरः कुमार सुब्बा

राष्ट्रियस्तरको पत्रकार बन्ने सपना बोकेर माया काठमाडौँ छिरेको तीन महिना मात्र भयो। यो बीचमा उनले दलित सवालमा थुप्रै रेडियो फिचरहरूमा रिपोर्टिङका साथै आवाज दिन समेत भ्याइसकेकी छन्। दाङको तुल्सीपुर’४ की माया अहिले जागरण मिडिया सेन्टरद्वारा सञ्चालित रेडियो पत्रिका …कट्वाल’ मा संवाददाताका रूपमा कार्यरत छिन्। कामप्रतिको लगाव र उत्साह पनि थपिँदो छ र आफूलाई थप आत्मविश्वासी बनाउने अभियानमा छिन् उनी। “तर वादीकी छोरीका रूपमा समाजबाट मैले पाएको उपेक्षालाई कहिल्यै भुल्न सक्दिनँ”, उनी भन्छिन्। दुई वर्षअघि रेडियो तुल्सीपुरमा …के छ काइँला बा?’ शीर्षकको मनोरञ्जनात्मक कार्यक्रम शुरु गर्दा “वादीले चलाएको कार्यक्रम पनि राम्रो होला र?” भन्ने टिप्पणी सुनेपछि पलाएको इखको समेत भूमिका छ उनलाई सञ्चारकर्मी बनाउन। भन्छिन्, “त्यसपछि मैले केही गर्नै पर्ने अठोट लिएँ र यहाँसम्म आइपुगेकी छु।”

Source: Himal Khabar Patrika

Major political Dalit organizations organised a joint meeting; released a 9-Point Common Minimum Understanding

The Nepaldalitinfo Special Report

Kathmandu, February 19- Six Dalit organisations affiliated with major political parties of Nepal organized a joint meeting yesterday as a way forward to move towards fulfilling the basic demands and aspirations of Dalit community in the current extraordinary circumstances of Nepalese society. At the conclusion of the meeting, the major political Dalit organizations have come up with a 9-Point Common Minimum Understanding, which will form the basis of their forward struggle.

The 9-points of understanding are:

1. In the context of the declaration of Nepal as an untouchability-free nation made on Jestha 21, 2063 BS by the parliament following the peoples’ movement (Jana Andolan 2062/63), untouchability-discrimination must be made a social crime of serious nature by the constitution [the main statute] itself, and hard laws must be enacted against untouchability-discrimination and enforced immediately.

2. Implementing the agreement and understanding made among eight political parties, an interim government including Maoists must be formed, and the date of Constituent Assembly (CA) election must be declared immediately.

3. The election of CA must be held based on the system of inclusive proportional representation. A minimum of 20 percent CA representatives must be allocated to Dalit representatives on the ground of proportional representation as well as a means of additional rights for compensation to Dalits. Similarly, a provision of 20% representation from Dalits at all levels from top to bottom of the state machinery, governmental and private agencies must be made on the ground of proportional representation as well as a means of additional rights for compensation to Dalits.

4. Nepal as a state must be restructured establishing a federal democratic system of state governance based on caste, language and regional autonomy.

5. Rayamajhi Commission Report must be made public, and culprits of suppressing the Jana Andolan must be booked, and stern action must be taken against them.

6. An effective step must be taken to bring the declaration of a secular state and its system into practice.

7. Dalit Rights Commission must be made a constitutional body.

8. Identifying all problems of Dalit community, the state must make a [concrete] plan to resolve the problems in all associated sectors.

9. The genuine demands of Madheshi, indigenous nationalities, women must be fulfilled.

The [joint] meeting decided to present memoranda on the above mentioned demands to the government, eight parties and legislature-parliament, and to make further decisions on the programs of joint struggle based on common understanding as may be necessary.

The meeting also condemned the King’s objectionable Falgun 7 message as unauthorized and inappropriate.

The joint communique released after the meeting was signed by the following representatives of the major political Dalit organisations:

Tilak Pariyar, Convenor, Nepal Dalit Mukti Morcha (Ekikrit)

Lal Bahadur Bishwakarma, President, Nepal Udpidit Jatiya Mukti Samaj

Khadga Bahadur Basyal-Sarki, Acting President, Nepal Dalit Sangh

Shambhu Hazara Paswan, General Secretary, Nepal Dalit Sangh (Democratic)

Ahuti, General Secretary, Nepal Rastriya Dalit Mukti Sangathan

Sewal Ram, President, Nepal Dalit Utthan Manch.

The Joint Communique Document (in Nepali):

The nepadalitinfo network adds:

This meeting organized by 6 major political Dalit organizations to come up with 9-point understanding is timely and crucial to bring all dalit forces into one fold based on the minimum consensus at the least. The meeting and further consultations, thereof, would pave the way for a much broader alliance in the Dalit movement so as to make a significant impact on the politics of Nepal for empowerment and overall developement of Dalit community. This initiative is very much in line with what the nepaldalitinfo network has been voicing for, ever since its inception in 2003 and more intensely, following the peoples’ victory in the Jana Andolan 2063.

Related items:

Dalit Liberation Front of Nepal (Unified) submits a Memorandum to PM, with an ultimatum

अन्तरिम संविधान मस्यौदा समिति लाई पेश गरिएको सुझाव

नेपाल राष्ट्रिय दलित मुक्ति संगठनको संविधानसभामा दलित प्रतिनिधित्व र दलित आन्दोलनको तत्कालीन कार्यभारसम्बन्धी प्रस्ताव

The Nepaldalitinfo: Demands of Dalits in Nepal

Kathmandu, February 18- A Bill to amend the interim constitution has been registered at the Parliament Secretariat on Sunday February 18 evening. One of the provisions in the proposed amendment calls for proportional representation of Madhesis, women, Janjatis, Dalits, disabled people and other minorities in all structure of the state. >>> More on this story.

[The nepaldalitinfo brief]

Kathmandu, February 18- The King Gyanendra in his address to the nation today said Nepal is a kaleidoscope of diverse people - be they indigenous, dalits or those living in villages, cities, or the terai, hills or the mountainous regions, eKantipur.com reports. He made this remark in his what was apparently an unsolicited message on the occasion of the “Falgun 7 Democracy Day”. The King no longer holds any official authority of the head of the state kind like in the past years, but is more like a royal citizen.

Throughout the history of all powerful absolute monarchial rule of the Shah dynasty, there has been no explicit mention about ‘Dalits’, the most oppressed people of Nepal in any royal address to the nation. Every time, there was a royal address, it was all rosy royal, as if the people were all well as was the King, while the truth was no where near the address.

[The nepaldalitinfo brief].

Nepal’s former prime minister and president of Nepali Congress (Democratic) Sher Bahadur Deuba has expressed the necessity to bring forward the backward classes including ethnic communities, women and Dalits, nepalnews.com reports. Speaking today in the far western Terai town, Nepalganj, he assured the backward communities that his party will add its voices to their demands for betterment. He claimed that his party has already decided to allocate 40 percent reservation to ethnic communities, women and backward classes.

Nepali Congress (Democratic) is convinced for bringing forward Dalits. However, the party outrageously failed to nominate even a single member of interim parliament from Dalit community. All six seats allocated to the party for nominating members from civic society, Janajatis, women and Dalits are used up in satisfying the party’s senior leaders. The nepaldalitinfo calls for rectification of this unfortunate mistake at once.

Social exclusion, discrimination must be addressed: Sundh

Kantipur Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 17 - Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal, Lena Sundh on Saturday stressed on addressing all social exclusion and longstanding discrimination against any Nepalis, including Madhesis, Dalits, indigenous peoples, communities such as Badis, groups such as ex-Kamaiyas, people with disabilities and sexual minorities, in a speech delivered Saturday morning in Birgunj. >>> More on this story

Jana Bodh, new monthly Nepali vernacular magazine is hitting the news stands from January 2007. The magazine covering all aspects of Nepalese peoples’ life is set to also focus on Dalit issues.

The maiden issue cover of the new monthly magazine.

The maiden issue inner cover of the new monthly magazine.

Canada Forum for Nepal calls for making constitution with broad participation

Ottawa, Canada, 14 February 2006. A constitution assembly must be inclusive of all sectors of society if the constitution made by such body is to win the hearts and minds of the people. Formulating a new constitution for a country is a special event in history and an assembly to write it need not be composed in the same way as a parliament elected under a permanent constitution. This was the conclusion that came out of an interaction program organized by Canada Forum for Nepal in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada on February 11. The interaction program on currently emerging ethnic and constitutional issues of Nepal was organized by Canada Forum for Nepal, says a release from the Forum.

All participants had almost unanimous view that the interim government should implement the Rayamajhi and Mallik commission reports swiftly. They shared a view that the interim parliament should scrap old 205 constituencies, formulate more fair election process, and use proportional representation system. The interim parliament should also amend interim constitution to enshrine fair representation for women, Dalit, Janajati, Madhesi, handicapped, remote communities, civil society figures, and professionals in the constituent assembly election.

“Grievances against non-inclusion are strong and the movement of Madhesh of January 2007 was fueled by those grievances.”, expressed the General Secretary of Joint Forum for Human Rights, Mr Gopal Siwakoti Chintan, who spoke in the interaction program.

In the same program, Mr Richard Harmston of South Asia Partnership Canada said that the current troubles experienced by Nepal were primarily streaming out of an “incompetence window” as opposed to a “conspiracy window”, and Dr Pramod Dhakal of the Canada Forum for Nepal said, “The process of making the constitution must involve the whole society.”