Kathmandu, June 17, 2007- The first ever National Citizen Assembly of Dalits took place yesterday in the Valmiki Vidhyapeet, Kathmandu, Nepal in the Chairmanship of Mr. Moti Lal Nepali - Chairperson DNF-Nepal. Maoists Supremo Comrade Prachanda inaugurated the assembly by handling over the news bulletin produced for the event to Rubin Gandarva.

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Chairperson of Jana Morcha Nepal, Mr. Amik Serchan, Central Member of Nepali Congress, Mr. Arjun Narshingh KC, Vice-Chairperson of Nepali Congress Democratic, Mr. Prakash Man Singh, Minister for Social Welfare, Hon. Parliamentarian Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma, Central Committee Member of CPN (UML) Mr. Shankar Pokhrel, Central Committee Member of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi) Ms. Sarita Giri, Chairperson of Dalit Mukti Morcha Unified Mr. Tilak Pariyar, General Secretary of CPN (ML) Mr. C. P. Mainali, General Secretary of Dalit Liberation Font Aahuti, Sr. Litterateur Mr. Khagendra Sangraula, Sr. Dalit Activist and Social Worker Mr. Padam Sundas, Hon. Parliamentarian Ram Preet Paswan, Central Member of CPN (Unified) and Hon. Parliamentarian Pari Thapa, Chairperson of Press Chautari Mr. Bal Krishna Chapagain were present in the inauguration program. Chairperson of JMC, Mr. Suvash Kumar Darnal welcomed all the participants and Mr. Binod Pahadi, Central Member of Federation of Nepalese Journalists and Advisor of Jagaran Media Center (JMC) hosted the program.

Comrade Prachanda spoke for some 45 minutes showing his sentimental relationship with Dalit community, and said that this event at this time was very meaningful. Understanding the importance of program, he mentioned that he cancelled other programs that he had committed to participate after 1:00 pm and attended this program. He stayed from inauguration at 11:00 am until the closing ceremony at 5:00 pm. All the other honorable guests also stayed in the whole session. There were almost 2,500 Dalits and pro-Dalits in the inauguration session. The program in itself was appreciated by all the participants, and is definitely an epoch making event in the history of Nepalese Dalit movement.

After the completion of inauguration session, parallel discussions on 13 different issues took place until 8:00 pm.

The parallel discussions on 5 themes are slated for today before the closing session.

Report by:

Pratik Pande
JMC Nepal

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