(Photo : Madhav Aryal; Source: www.ekantipur.com)

Folk song artists Raju Pariyar (left in the picture) and Bhagwan Bhandari perform at a Lokdohari concert held at Tansen in Palpa district on Sunday 3rd Feb. The programme was organised by a local organisation of the Magar community to conserve the indigenous culture as well as to aid development of sports in the district.

Raju Pariyar is a national celebrity folk song artist in Nepal, who comes from Dalit community.

Social Development Hostel is passing arduous time through to darkness: An appeal for assistance

Social Development Hostel is a Dalit students’ dormitory, which was established in 2033 BS (1975) as a result of a demand pressurised to the Panchayat Raj Government by the Dalit movement in Nepal back then. It is located at Bijeshwari, Swayambhu in Kathmandu. Due to financial crunch and bad management, currently the Hostel is posing lots of hardship to its residents.

It has two storeyed building facing towards North with little yard and ruined boundary at the back. The ground floor has 16 rooms for students along with one TV hall and one kitchen room, and has unmanaged 7 toilets and bathrooms. Likewise, the first floor has 17 rooms for students and one wide and big banal meeting hall, with 8 toilets and bathrooms. Each room has 2 beds with a total carrying capacity of students is 66. In addition to this, there is a warden quarter.

The students residing here are from every nook and corner of Nepal, whereas 10 students are studying in Master Degree, one each studies in Engineering, BBA, CA, and HA, while about 25 students study in Bachelor Degree and the remaining in Intermediate Level.

The management of this Hostel is under the Ministry of Social Welfare and receives only Rs. 40,000/- per year for hostel’s budget for expenses, but it needs about Rs. 350,000 per year for management and maintenance including hiring a peon and a gateman.

Right from the early time, this Hostel had been facing many challenges, which are still lingering on. The telephone connection has been broken down for a year; the electricity has been cut off for a month now. Water shortage is common all the time. The dues of electricity, telephone and water bills are accumulating day by day. The total has already exceeded more than Rs 200,000. Students are in compulsion to spend much time for water searching instead of study.

Concerned authorities, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Ministry of Sports and Education, Dalit Commission, Dalit Development Committee, Dalit NGOs and Dalit MPs, have been informed of the problems faced by this Hostel. Some of the cardinal authorities from Dalit Commission, Dalit Development Committee including Minister of Social Welfare had observed the Hostel’s present conditions about a month ago and had assured to address the problems soon, but no such attempts have been seen so far. The Warden and Hostel Management Committee are seen passive to pressurize the Government. So called Dalit Leaders and contractors of Dalit’s development from NGOs are deaf and blind. They ignore to stretch their hands for absolute solution.

All the hostel resident students appeal and request you all altruistic concerned authorities and Dalit activists and philanthropists to address the Hostel’s problems to create a conducive environment for the betterment of astute and wise Dalits students to progress in their educational endeavor. Negligence towards the life of hostel resident students can only invite darkness in the hope for overall Dalit upliftment.

We are really seeking your assistance soon!

Thanks.

M.D. Pariyar
On behalf of the Hostel resident students
Society Development Hostel

दलित विद्यार्थीहरुले माग पत्र बुझाए

- राजु रसाली / पाल्पा

Tansen (Palpa), Feb. 2- Free Dalit Student Forum, Palpa, which has been recently formed to ensure the rights of Dalit students has submitted a memorandum with 8-point demands to all students’ associations/unions in the Tribhuwan Multiple Campus (College) in Tansen, Palpa. The demands include 20% proportional representation in forth coming students union and other opportunities of goods and services available to students in the campus.

दलित विद्यार्थीहरुको अधिकार सुनिश्चित गर्नका लागि गठन भएको स्वतन्त्र दलित विद्यार्थी मञ्च पाल्पाले आफ्ना ८ बुदे माग पत्र त्रिभुवन बहुमुखी क्याम्पस अन्तरगत स्वतन्त्र विद्यार्थी युनियन, अनेरास्ववियू, अनेरास्ववियू-क्रान्तिकारी, नेपाल विद्यार्थी संघ, अखिल छैठौ र अखिल एकिकृतलाई बुझाएको छ ।

फागुनमा हुन गइरहेको स्वतन्त्र विद्यार्थी युनियनको निर्वाचनलाई मध्य नजर गदै माग पत्र बुझाएको मञ्चका अध्यक्ष राम प्रसाद लोहागुनले बताउनु भयो । स्वतन्त्र विद्यार्थी युनियनको निर्वाचनमा दलितहरुको २० प्रतिशत जनसँख्याको आधारमा समानुपातिक प्रतिनिधित्व हुनु पर्ने, दलित विधार्थिहरुले पाउने सेवा सुविधा र अवसरहरुलाई इमान्दारितापर्ूवक प्रदान गरिनुपर्ने, दलित विधार्थीहरुले जातियताकै आधारमा भोग्न परेका अपहेलाका विरुद्व प्रभावकारि कानुन बनाउनु पर्ने, दलितविधार्थीलाई राजनितिक हतियारको रुपमा प्रयोग गर्न नहुने, भर्ना त्यसैगरि मासिक शुल्क र छात्रवासमा निशुल्क बस्ने व्यवस्था हुनुपर्ने लगायतका मागहरु मागपत्रमा उल्लेख रहेका छन । मागपत्र बुझ्दै स्वतन्त्र विधार्थि युनियन त्रिभुवन बहुमुखी क्याम्पस पाल्प्ााका सभापति मोतिलाल भण्डारीले दलित विधार्थीहरुले राखेका मागहरु सकारात्मक भएको र छिट्टै नै मागहरुलाई स्वतन्त्र विधार्थी युनियनले सम्वोधन गर्ने बताउनु भयो । त्यसैगरि अनेरास्ववियूका कोपिल न्यौपानेले दलित विधार्थीहरुका मागहरु प्रति आफनो सँगठन सकारात्मक रहेको बताउदै पाल्पा जिल्लाको नेतृत्व अव स्वतन्त्र दलित विधार्थी मञ्चले लिनु पर्ने बताउनुभयो । नेपाल विधार्थी संघका धिरजले दलित विधार्थीहरु क्याम्पसमा सधैँ पछि परेको बताउदै अवका दिनमा दलित विधार्थी मञ्चले सक्रिय भुमिका खेल्नु पर्ने बताउनु भयो । अनेरास्ववियू क्रान्तिकारिका बामदेब सापकोटाले स्वतन्त्र विधार्थी युनियनको निवार्चन पूण रुपमा समानुपातिक भएमात्र दलित विधार्थीहरुका समस्याहरु सम्वोधन हुने बताउनु भयो । अखिल एकिकृतका बलु गैरेले अखिल एकिकृत दलित विधार्थीहरुका सवालहरुलाई उठाउने बताउनुभयो । अखिल छैठौका दिल बहादुर गाहाँले दलित विद्यार्थीहरुका मागहरुलाई सवै संगठनहरुले सम्बोधन गर्नु पर्ने बताउनु भएको थियो । स्वतन्त्र दतिल विद्यार्थी मञ्चका अध्यक्ष राम प्रसाद लोहागुनले माग पत्र विद्यार्थी संगठनहरुलाई हस्तान्तरण गर्नुभएको थियो । सोहि अवसरमा मञ्चका संरक्षक दल बहादुर लोहागुनले दलित विद्यार्थीहरुका माग प्रति संगठनहरु सचेत नभए आन्दोलनमा उत्रने चेतावनी समेत दिनु भयो ।

Nepaldalitinfo add:
The formation of non-partisan Free Dalit Students Forum in Palpa is a commendable initiative. Many national Dalit organisations should learn from students to go unitedly in a non-partisan way on common issues for common good.

World Peace and Progress through Tourism- A Dalit Movement initiative

Kathmandu, Feb 1- Nepal India Dalit Friendship Organization (NIDFO) and Mumbai based Bharatiya Samaj Vikas Academy (BSVA) jointly organized a seminar on “Developing world peace and progress through tourism” at Everest Hotel here on 30th Janaury 2008 in commemoration of the Death Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on this day. The chief guest of the program Hon. Dr. Mata Prasad, Ex Governor of Arunanchal Pradesh, India inaugurated the seminar and spoke on the program. The other dignitaries who spoke on the program were Hon. Ramprit Paswan MP, Mr. Bijul Bishwokarma, Ex MP, Industrialist Mr. Binay Amatya, Mrs. Mithai Devi Bishwokarma, Journalist Mr. Binod Pahadi, Mr. Hira Bishwokarma and Mr. Om Prakash BK Ramdam, the Chairman of NIDFO from Nepal, and Mr Balasaheb Jagadale, the Chairman of BSVA, Mr. Abbas Seikh, the General Secretary of BSVA and Dr Anil Patil from India.

A seminar on “Developing world peace and progress through tourism”

On thes occasion, a total of 80 persons were awarded lifetime achievement awards for peace and progress with trophy of Boudha Stupa and Medals. Among them were 20 persons from Nepal and 60 persons from India. The program was very interesting and first of its kind in Nepal—as it takes a new turn in Dalit movement to a development initiative like tourism that is lead to world peace and progress. The welcome address was made by Mr. Moti Lal Nepali, the General Secretary of NIDFO and the program was conducted by Mr Om Prakash VK Gahatraj.

For further information, please contact:
Om Prakash BK Ramdam
Chairman, NIDFO
Tel: 9841887241