Kathmandu, 21 August 2007 - In a press conference organized by National Dalit Commission (NDC), Mr. Ram Singh Bishwokarma, NDC president claimed that the population of Dalits in each census has been decreasing due to weakness of the State. He further said that the National Dalit Commission is able to make the real census of Dalits if the government provides the responsibility to the NDC. These views were expressed by the president during the press meet of NDC for making its plans and policies public and transparent.

The recent meeting of the NDC has passed the yearly plan and programmes for the body. The programmes for the fiscal year 2064/065 include creating awareness among the Dalit communities about the constituent assembly election, monitoring Dalit-oriented programmes, incidents of caste-based discriminations and providing legal support to discrimination victims, among others.

Mr. Bishwokarma also blamed that the commission is still not self-governing and constitutional because of insincerity of the state towards Dalits community. And he mentioned that the state has again cheated them by pretending to have done a lot for Dalits Rights.

The National Dalit Commission (NDC), which is working as an agency within the Ministry of Local Development, has forwarded a draft bill of the National Dalit Commission proposing its legal basis as an autonomous a nd constitutional body. The NDC has also forwarded another draft bill proposing to bring caste-based discrimination and untouchability practices to an end. “We have already registered both the bill drafts at the interim parliament through the Ministry of Local Development,” said Ram Lal Bishwokarma, president of NDC at a press conference.

He appealed to the Dalit community, Civil Society, Media, International Community, friends of Dalits and other well-wishers to put much pressure to the state for making the NDC an autonomous and constitutional body.

A five-member task force has been formed under the leadership of NDC member Bikram Ram to study the status of some groups who have not been enlisted as Dalits by the government.

Report by:

Suman Paudel