Govt, dalits start talks, agree to continue

POST REPORT

KATHMANDU, Aug 17 - Talks between the government and Joint Dalit Struggle Committee (JDSC) that began on Friday evening at Singha Durbar, wrapped up after over three hours with an agreement to sit the next time with selective and managed dialogue teams.

“We concluded today’s meet with an agreement to sit for the next round of dialogue with more selective talks teams in a more managed way,” said Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel, who is also coordinator of the government talks team. However, the date for the next round of talks has not been fixed so far.

“We will discuss the issues in the next meet. But, we found that the government team has not taken our demands seriously nor have members of the team studied them thoroughly,” said Maoist-nominated Parliamentarian Padma Lal Bishwokarma, a member of the JDSC talks team.
JDSC has been demanding that 20 percent seats in the Constituent Assembly (CA) in both the proportional as well as first-past-the- post electoral systems be reserved for dalit (oppressed) communities.

They have also been insisting on at least 20 percent representation of the community in all organs of the state, among other demands.

Dalits seek 20 per cent quota in CA

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, August 17: Dalit organisations of the ruling political parties today demanded that the government reserve 20 per cent seats of the constituent assembly for the Dalits. According to last population census conducted in 2001, Dalits account for around 12 per cent of the total population.

Representatives of the Nepal Dalit Sangh, Nepal Utpidit Jatiya Mukti Samaj, Nepal Dalit Sangh (D), Dalit organisations of Janamorcha Nepal led by Chitra Bahadur KC, Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi Devi) and Maoist-affiliated Samyukta Ganatantrik Dalit Morcha held talks with the government talks team at the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction. Dalit leaders said representatives of five political parties and 15 others had taken part in the talks that continued for three hours.

The Dalit bodies’ major demands include: guarantee of 20 per cent reservation in the 497-member constituent assembly (240 for first-past-the- post, 240 for proportional representation and 17 seats to be nominated by the council of ministers); 20 per cent reservation for Dalits in all state affairs; giving the existing Dalit Commission a constitutional status; free education and preference to Dalits in foreign employment and education. The organisations have submitted a 15-point demand to the government.

The Maoist-affiliated Samyukta Ganatantrik Dalit Morcha has, however, demanded that the country be declared a republic before the Constituent Assembly.

Padam Lal Bishwokarma, a Dalit leader and a lawmaker from the CPN-Maoist, told the media that the government talks team was not “prepared” to discuss the issue his organisation had raised. He said they would call Chitwan bandh tomorrow and Kathmandu Valley bandh on August 22.
Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel said they would sit again after the Dalit organisations formed a talks team representing all the Dalit communities.