International Commission for Dalit Rights Urges Pakistan to Respect rule of laws and Human Rights

Washington DC, November 12 - After political and social upheavals have ensnared Pakistan for weeks, the International Commission for Dalit Rights (ICDR) challenges nation’s leadership to respect human rights.

Actions taken by President Pervez Musharaf’s administration indicate that Pakistan’s highest office condones violence against people who demonstrate their demand for equality and democracy for all. ICDR believes equity and democracy are essential traits for any truly functioning government, and insists that Pakistan restore them to its citizenry with expediency.

The painfully exhibited government insecurities inevitably lead to instability, the results of which tragically touched Scheduled Castes Federation of Pakistan during the Oct. 18 welcome rally at Karachi Airport for Benazir Bhutto, leader of the Pakistan People’s Party and a bold voice against Musharaf.

There, two PPP workers, Allahno Meghwar and Nanak Oad, themselves Dalits, died as a result of the terrorist bomb detonated during Bhutto’s rally, according to Scheduled Castes Federation of Pakistan .

Unfortunately, that is not the only instance of recent brutality to stir international outrage.

In a recent demonstration by Dalit rights opponents, shots were fired at two family members of Surendar Valasai, former president of Scheduled Castes Federation of Pakistan, wounding both of them.

“The supporters of Dalits and opponents of untouchability, caste discrimination and human inequality are requested worldwide to raise their voice against the murderous armed attack on Dalit political workers of the PPP in Pakistan at the hands of Manuvadis,” according to a statement released by the Scheduled Castes Federation of Pakistan.

ICDR stands with Scheduled Castes Federation of Pakistan and Dalit rights advocacy groups the world over to say institutionalized discrimination and violence against anyone is unacceptable.

Now is not the time for the world to look away; rather, this is the moment to demand justice and the right to live without fear, for Dalits and all living in Pakistan.

Further information please contact:
DB Bishwakarma
President
or
Wendy Sarafin
Secretary General
International Commission for Dalit Rights (ICDR)
cdr_dalitrights@yahoo.com

A senior Dalit leader passes away

Kathmandu, November 12- A senior Dalit leader Gun Bahadur Pariyar, 73, passed away while he was receiving treatment at Norvic Hospital here last Thursday. He was ailing with chronic kidney problems for a long time. He is the elder brother to Interim Legislature Parliamentarian Tilak Pariyar. His demise considered a loss of a guardian of Maoists’ peoples’ war has also saddened all those involved in Dalit movement of Nepal.

Late Pariyar hailed from Kohalpur, Banke district in the Midwestern region of Nepal, and is survived by his wife and one son.

Report by:
Jeevan Pariyar

“अन्तिम श्रद्धाञ्जली दिन पुगेका आफन्त, मित्र तथा शुभचिन्तकहरूका बीचमा मृतकाका सहोदर भाई तथा नेकपा (माओवादी) का केन्द्रीय सल्लाहकार तथा नेपाल दलित मुक्ति मोर्चा (एकीकत) का अध्यक्ष विधायक क. तिलक परियारले उहा“को अन्तेष्टी नया“ तरिकाबाट साथ सम्पन्न गर्ने र आफ्नै परिवारबाट नया“ संस्कृति र संस्कारको स्थापना गर्ने कुरामा जोड दिनुभएको थियो ।”

“नेपाल दलित मुक्तिमोर्चा एकिकृतका केन्द्रीय अध्यक्ष तथा अन्तरिम व्यवस्थापिका माननीय विधायक श्री तिलक परियारका दाजु नेकपा माओवादी का बरिष्ठ नेता श्री गुणबहादुर परियारको असामयिक निधन भएकोमा अत्यन्त दुःख व्यक्त गर्न चाहन्छु । मृतक आत्माको चिर शान्तिको कामना गर्दै शोक सन्तप्त परिवार जनमा हार्दिक समवेदना व्यक्त गर्न चाहन्छु ।”

जीवन परियार
महासचिव
नेपाल दलित संघ, केन्द्रीय कार्यसमिति

Kathmandu, November 9- The Supreme Court (SC) of Nepal has issued a directive order to the government to form appropriate law for making provision of reservation for dalits. This is an achievement of the struggle from legal front with a writ petition filed about 3 years ago by a group of lawyers including Advocate Ratna Bahadur Bagchand. The directive order was passed by the joint bench of Justice Balaram KC and Justice Kalyan Shrestha last wednesday.

The news print cutting from the Kantipur daily is given below.

Report by:
Sanju Katwal
LANCAU Nepal

Scary surnames

Just because they humiliate me, I do not want to humiliate myself.

Uday Pariyar

Margaret Sandra’s article, Nameless State, in The Guardian, describes the challenges she continues to face after she decided to cut out her family name 30 years ago. As a young feminist and social activist, she found it appalling that she had to associate herself either with her father or divorced husband through her surname. She dropped her family name altogether at the cost of lost family lineage.

Despite many troubles with official documents and procedures, she managed to stick to her decision. She believed it was a new type of social movement she started for the freedom of women from male domination. She now finds it rather frustrating that her campaign failed to gather steam even in the 21st century. On the contrary, she still finds it difficult to live without her surname due to the official requirements for one. Modern computers and machines would not register her for anything unless she used her full name. She has been using XXXX as her first name and Margaret Sandra as her family name to satisfy the machines.

The article reminded me of many occasions when I had been asked for my surname while being introduced. Even some highly educated people I encounter in Kathmandu ask me straightaway – “What is your Thar (caste)”? I find such common questions very offending. Clearly, they want to view me through their caste lens and decide which layer of social strata I belong to.

“Why do want to know my caste and not my full name?” I ask with irritation. Some get angry and usually the response would be, “Don’t feel bad about it, but still what is your surname?” Defeated, I tell them I am a Damai. And they often fire back, “You are probably lying. You don’t look like a Damai. You look like a Bahun!” Such humiliating assumptions on my identityinfuriate me. I keep asking them how an actual Damai is supposed to look like.

Racial difference usually is obvious due to physical characteristics. For instance, nobody would be mistaken a Gurung for a Bahun. But the case is different for so-called untouchables like me because we look no different than Bahuns and Chhetris. Our facial and other physical structures look very much the same. The Madhesi Dalits cannot be easily separated from other Madhesis. Some Pahadis living for a long time in Terai cannot be easily distinguished from local Madhesis. In such difficult cases, the only tool available for identifying the caste backgrounds is to ask for your surname. This ongoing trend often acts as a public humiliation for the people of low caste.

No wonder, many Dalits see their family names as a key factor for inviting humiliation and discrimination. Some members of the Dalit community will tell you only their first names when asked. Many Dalits have developed all sorts of ways to find a more honourable surname in place of their real surnames that expose them to discrimination and domination. One of the common ways is to try and have the surnames same as those of Bahuns or Chhetris, a process I call Bahunisation.

A vantage point is that some of our sub-caste names are same or similar to that of the high castes. For instance, we have a Dalit party activist from eastern Nepal whose caste is Gotame. He made a slight alteration and changed it to Gautam. Although he claims to be a very strong defender of Dalit rights, his landlords are told he is a Bahun. He fears he might not be given the room for rent if his true identity is revealed. However, he has already served in the Dalit Commission, nominated by his party. The trick is to hide your identity under cover of Bahunisation but to reveal your true identity when you are likely to get an opportunity as a member of the low caste community.

This may sound cynical, but it is true and probably quite justifiable in a caste ridden society like ours. But personally, I think this is a bad idea. If we believe we are entitled to live a dignified life as a human being like any one else, we should start to take pride in our identity first. Surely, I want liberation from the social stigma, discrimination and injustices but not at the cost of my identity.

True, many might see me as a polluted or an impure person due to my ascribed status, but I have complete faith in the fact that their perceptions are wrong. Just because they humiliate me, I do not want to humiliate myself. So, I wish to retain my obvious family name and not Bahunise it for a false sense of liberty. Ironically, many so-called Dalit activists, Dalit rights defenders and leaders are the ones who often hide their identities.

Probably this is the reason why Margaret failed as a social campaigner. Family names do expose oppressed people to humiliation and suffering. But what really needs to be changed is not your family name but people’s perceptions. One of the key factors that is holding the untouchables back is their low self-esteem. Getting rid of your own surname only shows how weak your self-respect is. This is something those advocating Dalit rights need to understand and start acting upon. (ud.pariyar@gmail.com)

[Also, published in www.newsfront.com.np.]

Nepal Parliament passed the proposal for proportional representation (PR) system

nepaldalitinfo report

Kathmandu, November 4- The Interim Legislature Parliament of Nepal today passed the Maoist party’s proposal on proportional representation (PR) system that has called for its adoption for the forthcoming Constituent Assembly election. The passing of the proposal was realized after the Maoists and the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) struck a deal to vote in favour of each other’s proposal and amendment proposal on proportional representation system and republic, respectively - thereby ensuring that both republic and PR system were passed by majority through voice voting. Nepali Congress voted against the proposal.

The motion passed for PR system is one good step forward towards holding the Constituent Assembly (CA) election on the basis of fully proportional representation of all people. However, the Government needs to follow up the house decision towards eventual constitutional amendments for putting a PR system in place.

RELATED NEWS:

Maoists, UML back each other’s proposals; House passes Maoist motion on PR system

Maoists withdraw republic motion; House passes PR system for CA polls

The nepaldalitinfo expands networking collaboration in UK

The nepaldalitinfo report

London, October 30- The founding moderator of nepaldalitinfo network Dr. D.P. Rasali and the network’s website domain provider Ms. Krishna Rasali visited two London based organizations, Srijanshil Nepalese Society (SNS) and Voice of Dalit International (VoDI) last week, sparing a small time during their vacation in England.

Dr. and Ms. Rasali met over 100 members of the Srijanshil (Dalit) community during a Dashain celebration organized by SNS at a British Army Camp in Aldershot, a suburb town south-west of London. Dr. Rasali, who was felicitated as the chief guest of honor during the celebration ceremony, introduced to the gathering the nepaldalitinfo international network and its three functional organs- yahoo group email list, original and new websites, and urged everyone to visit for vast amount of dalit information resources available there. He urged everyone interested to sign up for nepaldalitifo yahoo group membership.

Srjianshil Nepalese Society, UK Dashain Celebration (Photo by: Krishna Rasali)

During the Rasali couple’s visit to VoDI office, Mr. Eugene Culas, Director of VoDI and Dr. Rasali exchanged introductory information about VoDI and nepaldalitinfo, respectively. Both discussed and explored potential areas of future collaboration, especially in internationalizing Nepal’s Dalit issues and strengthening capacity of Dalit activists/leaders for empowerment of Dalits in Nepal.

Mr. Eugene Culas and Dr. DP Rasali (Photo by: Krishna Rasali)

England probably has the largest population of Srijanshil people from Nepal among all the western countries. Networking with them for voicing Dalit issues of Nepal could have greater impacts on the way both British and Nepalese governments look at Dalits’ issues and welfare in Nepal.

RELATED NEWS/ITEMS:

Srijanshil (Dalit) Diaspora Celebrates Dashain in UK

Voice of Dalit International (VoDI) website

Srijanshil (Dalit) Diaspora Celebrates Dashain in UK

Aldershot (UK), October 30- Aldershot, a small town in the south-west of London in England– also known as the Military Town– embraces quite a big number of Nepalese immigrants so as to be often called a little Nepal. On 27th of October, the town hosted a Dasain Party that was organised in the British Army’s Welfare Centre hall by Srijanshil Nepali Samaj (SNS- Creative Nepalese Society). SNS is a local community organization founded here by Nepalese Srijanshil (Dalit) Diaspora with a vision of creating a civilised society through reformative and innovative work. The organization is currently led by Mr. Sher Sunar as its president.

From the late afternoon, the excitement was gearing up as the crowd filled the venue, changing lane of music from Nepalese Jhyaure to all the Hindi, indi, pop, remix, rock and hip- hop chilled and thrilled everyone with the pleasure of the moment and awesome feelings of celebration. Many of us were even carried away to the vista of our memories of back home which was perhaps overrun by the entirely family environment prevalent there. The whole atmosphere was filled with love, gratitude, respect and a feeling of belonging, and the people were longing for connections to make with every other soul present in the hall; it was the magical and magnetic moment that everybody was clustering into in a greater spirit.

After a session of indulgence in drinks, snacks and tidbits, a formal programme took its course making everyone sit gently and comfortably round the hall facing the dais in the centre side of the hall. Mr. Bikash Ranapaili, general secretary of SNS as the Master of Ceremony for the formal session drew everyone’s attention, as he requested Mr Sher Sunar, the president of the SNS to take his seat as the chairperson of the session first. The emcee accelerated the session with an introduction of Dr. Drona Rasali, a founder & moderator of nepaldalitinfo website and an eminent intellectual personality from the community visiting UK from Canada, and inviting him to take the seat on the dais as the chief guest of the night’s event. Eventually, the dais was filled up by other dignified personalities including Mr Shyamlal Sunar, Mrs Rupa Sunar, and Cpt.Gopal Bishwakarma.

The program began with recognition of the efforts of long-term members of the organisation and the community for their relentless efforts and dedication for making things happened for the organisation. The senior guest Mr Shyamlal Sunar and the chief guest Dr. Drona Rasali were felicitated by the SNS President Sher Sunar garlanding them with Khata (Dosalla, a silk shawl). This was followed by Mr. Shyamlal Sunar and Mr. Sher Sunar taking turns in recognising SNS members and other distinguished guests garlanding them with Khata. The best wishes speeches were made by all the personalities on the dais following an opening welcome speech made by Mr. Dhan Bahadur Sarki, a vice president of the SNS. The speakers shared their best wishes to every Nepalese in and outside of UK.

Dr. Rasali as the chief guest of the night took an exception to highlight some of the issues related to Dalit terminology and shed some lights on the historical background of Dalits. He emphasized and inspired the youths to take part in community issues and to keep themselves well informed of the issues of Nepalese Dalits by way of visiting nepaldalitinfo website to know what’s happening to them around the globe. He categorically emphasized that Dalits need to be united to make a single voice based on common minimum consensus to address the manifold issues they have.

The other guest visitor Mrs Rupa Sunar shared her experience as a social worker in the field of children’s welfare besides expressing her best wishes to the community’s endeavor.

Dr. Rasali as the chief guest also congratulated and felicitated Dr. Sony BK with a bouquet of flowers and a Khata for her graduation with a MBBS degree to become one of a very few medical doctors from the community.

Dr. Sony BK felicitated by Srijanshil Nepalese Society, UK

Among the SNS members expressing their views on the occasion, Sam Nepal urged everyone in the community to dedicate a small bit of time to do something for the community.

Finally, Mr Sher Sunar from the chair of the programme concluded the formal session thanking everyone for their energetic participation and contributions for making the gathering a grand celebration. He also highlighted some information about the organisation that has currently 322 persons and 63 households as the members of the organization. He also presented the financial status of the organization. Closing the formal session, he opened an informal floor for music, food and dance.

The party continued till late night, it was real fun and celebration, above all the charm of the moment was signalling the potential that we are capable of gathering through our organic unity of diverse mind and caste-barriers within ourselves too, by uniting and igniting together to our highest aspiration for achieving the freedom from the blight of casteism as a whole.

Srajanshil Nepalese Soceity, UK Dashain Celebration 2007- Pictures speak for thousand words.

Mr Bikash Ranapaili, General Secretary of SNS can be contacted for further details about SNS and the Dashain celebration event organised on 27th October 2007 at British Army Camp, Aldershot, UK in the following at his e-mail address- bikashranapaili@googlemail.com.

Report by:
Sam Nepal, UK