प्रत्यक्ष निर्वाचनबाट हुन नसकेको दलित समुदायको प्रतिनिधित्व समानुपातिकबाट पूर्ति गर्नु पर्ने राष्ट्रि्य दलित आयोगको माग छ ।
National Dalit Commission demands additional seats to offset the low Dalit representation from FPTP election.

काठमाडौ, बैशाख, १८ । वर्षौ देखि रहेको एक युगमा एक पटक जनताले आफ्नो चुनिएका प्रतिनिधिहरु द्वारा आफ्नो भाग्यको फैसला आफै गर्ने ऐतिहासिक संविधानसभाको निर्वाचन हामी नेपाली सबैको अथक प्रयासद्वारा सफलतापूवक सम्पन्न भएको छ । संविधानसभा, संविधान निर्माण गर्ने सबभन्दा उत्तम एवं प्रजातान्त्रिक विधि हुँदाहुँदै पनि यो आफैमा साध्य नभएर साधन मात्र हो । यस सभामा सबै वर्ग, जाति, क्षेत्र र लिङ्गको समानुपातिक प्रतिनिधित्व भएमा मात्र यसले सबैको हित हुने संविधान निर्माण गर्न सक्दछ ।

विगतमा संविधान निर्माण कार्य मनोनयन विधिबाट हुँदा दलित प्रतिनिधित्व हुन नसकेको तितो यथार्थ हामी कहाँ छ । इतिहासमा पहिलो पटक संविधान निर्माण दलित प्रतिनिधित्व हुँदैछ । तर, सरकारी तथ्याङ्ग अनुसार दलित समुदायको जनसंख्या नेपालको कुल जनसंख्याको १३ प्रतिशत मात्र रहेको छ जुन त्रुटिपर्ूण्ा रहेको छ । यस अर्न्तर्गत पनि जनसंख्याको अनुपातमा हेदा संविधानसभा अन्य पक्ष भन्दा दलित समुदायको प्रतिनिधित्व अत्यन्तै न्यून हुने देखिन्छ । किनकि, पहिलो त राजनीतिक दलहरुले दलित समुदायबाट प्रत्यक्षमा उम्मेदवारी दिन कन्जुस्याई गरे, त्यसमा पनि ने.क.पा. (माओवादी) को तर्फबाट ७ जना मात्र प्रत्यक्षमा विजयी हुनु भएको छ । यसबाट, भावी संविधान निर्माणमा दलितहरुको समानुपातिक प्रतिनिधित्व हुन नसक्ने आशंका जन्मिएको छ ।

यस पर्रि्रेक्षमा करिब एक चौथाई जनसंख्यामा रहेका दलित समुदायको प्रतिनिधित्व प्रत्यक्षमा हुन नसकेको कुरालाई पनि समानुपातिकबाट पूर्ति गर्नु पर्ने तड्कारो आवश्यकता देखिन्छ, मधेश, उत्पीडित क्षेत्र र महिला प्रतिनिधित्वमा दलितलाई समावेश गराएर पनि समानुपातिक एवंम समावेशी प्रतिनिधित्व मिलाउनु पर्ने जरुरी देखिन्छ । निर्वाचन आयोगको समानुपातिक नियम अनुसार कम्तीमा १३ प्रतिशत दलितको प्रतिनिधित्व अनिवार्य सुनिश्चित गर्दै प्रत्यक्षमा कम उम्मेदवारी दिएकोले शोध भर्ना स्वरुप ५० प्रतिशत महिला सहित २० प्रतिशत सम्म दलित प्रतिनिधित्व अनिवार्य गर्न गराउन मिति २०६५।१।१८ गते नेपाल कम्यूनिष्ट पार्टी (एमाले) का कार्यवाहक महासचिव श्री अमृत कुमार बोहरा, जनमोर्चा नेपालका अध्यक्ष श्री अमीक शेरचन र प्रमुख निर्वाचन आयुक्त श्री भोजराज पोखरेलसंग राष्ट्रिय दलित आयोगका अध्यक्ष, सदस्य सचिव तथा सदस्यहरुले सामूहिक रुपमा भेट गरी दलितहरुको प्रतिनिधित्व अनिवार्य सूनिश्चित गर्नको लागि जोडदार माग गरी ध्यानाकर्षा पत्र बुझाएको र संविधानसभा निर्वाचनमा विजयी भई आएको करीब सबै राजनैतिक दलहरुलाई पत्र पठाइएको साथै अन्य राजनैतिक दलहरुसंग भेट्ने थप कार्यक्रम पनि रहेको छ ।

जानकी बराह
सदस्य-सचिव
राष्ट्रि्य दलित आयोग

NEPALGUNJ, 27 April 2008 (IRIN) - Radha Biswokarma is ecstatic that the former Maoist rebels won a landslide victory in the historic Constituent Assembly (CA) elections held in Nepal on 10 April.

The Dalits are among the most neglected, socially discriminated and economically deprived of Nepalese communities and have always been under-represented in Nepalese politics and civil administration, analysts say.

According to a 2001 census by Nepal’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Dalits make up about 13 percent of the country’s 29 million inhabitants. However, some local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) say Dalits make up more than 20 percent of the population.

Party for the poor and neglected

The Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPNM) was the first political force to advocate for the rights of Dalits, who strongly supported the Maoists’ armed rebellion, dubbed the ‘People’s War’, according to political analysts. The former rebels trained and recruited Dalits in most of the country’s 75 districts to work as their political cadres.

“Our real representatives were elected”

“For the first time, I will see a leader from my own community,” said Sushila Nepali, a Dalit woman from west Nepal. She explained that the Maoists were the only party to have Dalit representatives elected in the assembly.

>>> More on this story

The following excerpts come from the conclusion of a report by written Purna Nepali about traditional caste-based occupations. The article was appeared in THE ORGANISATION: DEVELOPMENT PRACTIONER’S MAGAZINE, Vol 11, Issue 1, by ODC (Organisation Development Centre).

Traditional artisans are a part of the culture of the Nepalese society. Their expertise is fast disappearing though due to unfavorable environment and only few are still dependant on their craftsmanship for their subsistence. The craftsmen are not in position to compete in the open market. The structure of the Nepalese society, especially caste system and existing power relations are responsible for disappearing of traditional caste based occupations. As Dalits have neither social nor economic power they are trapped in patron-client type of relations to varying degree. Nexus of all these results in negative effect on economic status, livelihood, participation in public life, caste based discrimination and violation of human rights. Dalits have been confined to Dalits caste based occupations to serve the whole Nepalese society from very beginning and they could not enhance or develop their access to land which is not only a productive asset but it is a source of social and economic power, symbol of prestige and prosperity in agrarian society. Most of educated Dalit youth perceive that caste based discrimination and untouchablity is strongly associated with their occupations and they do not want to continue their ancestors’ professions. There is an ongoing debate about whether to modernise Dalits’ caste based occupations or not. Though there are a number of the state’s efforts for overall socioeconomic empowerment of marginalised communities the Dalits’ rights have been continually violated. Dalits poverty – human, economic and structural is a direct result of the caste system and subsequent social exclusion. The equity based approach to development and international human rights standards are not emphasising enough socioeconomic security of Dalit community in the Nepalese context.

- Purna Bahadur Nepali
Ph.D. Researcher
HNRSC, KU & NCCR North-South

Click here for: Traditional Caste Based Occupations

Ottawa (Canada), April 26- Canada Forum for Nepal (CFFN), a Canadian Non-Profit organization that advocates federal and inclusive democracy for Nepal has lauded a strong presence of women, Dalits, Janjatis, Madheshis, and other ethnic minorities in the Constituent Assembly (CA) through direct election in Nepal. A CFFN statement released by its Executive Director Dr. Pramod Dhakal says, “This is the first time in the history of Nepal that there is such an inclusive assembly of representatives.”

The release adds, “We laud the work of Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) for being the strongest force in bringing a fundamental shift towards inclusion and we acknowledge that all 7 Dalits, 23 out of 29 women, and majority of Hill Janajatis and Tarai Janajatis directly elected in the assembly are from their party. We sincerely hope that all political parties will follow this good example in the coming days. CFFN is happy to note that a broad based and highly representative CA is in the making.”

For full text of the CFFN release, please click here: >>> CFFN on inclusion in CA.

Report by:

Bhakti Nepal
for nepaldalitinfo

New York, April 22 - Nepal’s new constitution must recognise and protect the fundamental human rights of Dalits, victims of extreme discrimination for centuries, says a new report by a US rights group released here Tuesday on the heels of Nepal’s constituent assembly elections April 10. The report, “Recasting Justice: Securing Dalit Rights in Nepal’s New Constitution” by the Centre for Human Rights and Global Justice (CHRGJ), analyses Nepal’s Interim Constitution and suggests how the new constitution may be drafted to honour the country’s international human rights obligations to secure the rights of Dalits.

The 89-page report was released by CHRGJ, which works within the New York University School of Law on international human rights issues.

“The caste system is an affront to human dignity and inimical to the right to equality under international law,” said Smita Narula, faculty director at CHRGJ.

“Nepal’s new constitution must strike at the heart of this inhumane system, or risk perpetuating the very injustices that fuelled its conflicts of the past,” she added.

The report focuses on Nepal’s international human rights treaty obligations, which include ensuring non-discriminatory access to citizenship; the right to equality and non-discrimination; civil and political rights; economic, social, and cultural rights; women’s rights and the right to a remedy for human rights violations.

Nepal has to date fallen far short of meeting these obligations, as is shown by the reality of the Nepalese Dalit experience, the report says.

While commending the Interim Constitution for taking steps toward human rights, the report points out significant gaps that remain in the protection of Dalit rights.

Dalits comprise up to 25 percent of Nepal’s population, yet own only one percent of Nepal’s wealth and arable land. Upper caste community members typically force them to live in segregated communities, forbid them from entering public spaces, deny them access to food, water, and land, and coerce them into caste-based occupations considered too “impure” for higher castes. Dalit women and girls bear the dual brunt of caste and gender discrimination, the report says.

Among its key recommendations, CHRGJ has called on the Constituent Assembly to ensure that Nepal’s new constitution facilitates political representation and meaningful participation of Dalits and other marginalised communities in decision-making bodies, including the Constituent Assembly.

The report says that the new constitution should ensure non-discriminatory access to citizenship, prohibit private acts of discrimination and the use of religion to encroach upon fundamental rights. Right to freely choose or accept employment should be ensured and the right to constitutional remedy should be extended to non-citizens.

CHRGJ produced the report in close cooperation with Dalit advocates and members of the legal community in Nepal and drew on the expertise of Nepalese academics and international constitutional scholars.

The report’s findings and recommendations have been endorsed by the International Dalit Solidarity Network, an NGO in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Source: ThaiIndian News

Seven CPN (Maoists) candidates from occupational castes have won First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) seats of the CA elections in the final tally out of total 240 First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) seats from various districts.

They are:

1. Khadga Bahadur Bishwokarma, Maoists, 29569 Votes, won from Kalikot Constituency No: 1

2. Tej Bahadur Mijar, Maoists, 22076 Votes, won from Kavrepalanchok District Constituency No: 4

3. Tilak Pariyar, Maoists, 16087 Votes, won from Banke Constituency No: 1

4. Durga Kumari BK, Maoists, 14866 Votes, won from Karki Constituency No: 4

5. Gopi Bahadur Sarki (Achhami), Maoists, 14375 Votes, won from Morang Constituency No: 8

6. Sita Devi Boudel, Maoists, 13535 Votes, won from Nawalparasi Constituency No: 3

7. Mahendra Paswan, Maoists, 12110 Votes, won from Siraha Constituency No: 5

All of these candidates elected to CA are from Maoists’ camp, and represent four major occupational castes, who have been socio-economically oppressed and politically excluded for centuries in Nepal. This is the first time that a significant number of candidates from occupational caste groups have won direct general elections in the country. In the past recorded history of Nepal, Krishna Singh Pariyar was the only one candidate from Dalit community who was elected in any direct general election of Nepal. He was a Member of Parliament, the House of Representatives, elected in 1991 (2048) general election with a Nepali Congress ticket from Banke district .

The nepaldalitinfo expresses its congratulations to Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma, Tej Bahadur Mijar, Tilak Pariyar, Durga Kumari B.K. and Gopi Bahadur Sarki (Achhami), Mahendra Paswan and Sita Devi Boudel, who won the CA elections with overwhelming votes as well as to Khim Kumar B.K, Dambar Bahadur Biswokarma, Raju Prasad Chamar Harijan, Man Bahadur Bishwakarma, Uma B.K. and Shree Prasad Paswan, who secured second or third positions in the CA elections. For details of their votes, click here >>> Dalit Candidates in Constituency Wise Top Three Positions.

Report compiled by:
Kamala Hemchuri and Bhakti Nepal
for the Nepaldalitinfo International Network

RELATED NEWS:

CA Election Results: Five candidates from occupational castes have won so far

CA Election Results: At least three Dalit Karmajan candidates from Maoist camp to win

CA Election Results: Durga Kumari BK is the first elected Dalit Karmajan CA member

‘Ensure Dalits’ rights in new constitution’

Kantipur Report

KATHMANDU, April 22 - Center for Human Rights and Global Justice (CHRGJ) on Monday called on Nepal to end injustices and discrimination against Dalit community by protecting their fundamental rights in the new constitution.

Stating that the community has been facing years of systematic caste based discrimination, CHRGJ told lawmakers to demonstrate the country’s commitment to the rights of all individuals.

Unveiling a report ‘Recasting Justice: Securing Dalit Rights in Nepal’s new constitution in the capital and New York simultaneously, S Pal Ghai, an expert on caste discrimination, said the new constitution must redress injustices and discrimination against Dalit and other marginalized communities, and it should ensure equal access to opportunities.

The report mainly focuses on Nepal’s international human rights treaty obligations, including the right to equality, political and cultural rights; the right to be free from torture and other inhuman treatment.

Rikke Nohrlind, coordinator for International Dalit Solidarity Network, said in a statement that Nepal faces a historic chance to eliminate this system of inequalities, and she hoped that the report has pointed out measures that need to be adopted to address the long legacy of injustice against the community.

Source: eKantipur.com

Five candidates from occupational castes (Karmajan) have been declared winners of CA elections so far, while the vote counting still continues. They are:

1. Gopi Bahadur Sarki (Achhami), Maoists, 14375 Votes, won from Morang Constituency No: 8

2. Tej Bahadur Mijar, Maoists, 22076 Votes, won from Kavrepalanchok District Constituency No: 4

3. Durga Kumari BK, Maoists, 14866 Votes, won from Karki Constituency No: 4

4. Tilak Pariyar, Maoists, 16087 Votes, won from Banke Constituency No: 1

5. Khadga Bahadur Bishwokarma, Maoists, 29569 Votes, won from Kalikot Constituency No: 1

All of these candidates from Maoists’ camp represent three major occupational castes, who have been socio-economically oppressed and politically excluded for centuries in Nepal. This is the first time that a significant number of candidates from occupational caste groups have won direct general elections in the country.

Report by:
Kamala Hemchuri

Nepaldalitinfo adds (April 20, 2008):

The nepaldalitinfo expresses its congratulations to Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma, Tej Bahadur Mijar, Tilak Pariyar, Durga Kumari B.K. and Gopi Bahadur Sarki (Achhami), who won the CA elections with overwhelming votes as well as to Khim Kumar B.K, Dambar Bahadur Biswokarma, Raju Prasad Chamar Harijan, Man Bahadur Bishwakarma and Uma B.K., who secured second or third positions in the CA elections. For details of their votes, click here >>> Dalit Candidates in Constituency Wise Top Three Positions

RELATED NEWS:

CA Election Results: At least three Dalit Karmajan candidates from Maoist camp to win

CA Election Results: Durga Kumari BK is the first elected Dalit Karmajan CA member

April 13- At least three Dalit Karmajan (Occupational caste) candidates of CPN (Maoist) will be elected in the CA election. After Durga Kumari BK of CPN (Maoist) was declared elected from Kaski district, Tilak Pariyar of the same party has been elected from Banke district. Another Maoist candidate Khadga Bahadur Bishwkarma is currently leading the vote count and is expected to win the election.

The Nepaldalitinfo network had predicted, a few weeks ago, the possibility that Tilak Pariyar and Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma would win the election. [BN]

RELATED NEWS:

CA Election Results: Durga Kumari BK is the first elected Dalit Karmajan CA member

April 12- Durga Kumari BK of CPN (Maoist), 26, has been the first Constituent Assembly (CA) member declared elected from Dalit Karmajan communities of Nepal. She is elected from the western district of Kaski (Constituency No. 4). The nepaldalitinfo heartily congratulates Ms. BK, and hopes for her vibrant and meaningful representation from the Karmajan communities to the CA.

The results of CA elections currently developing towards the prominence of Maoists indicate that Nepali people have opted for a real ‘CHANGE” in favor of masses, who are poor, disadvantaged and oppressed in the country. The results are showing that there is a ray of hope for Karmajans, who are oppressed in every sphere of the society for centuries.

Former US president Jimmy Carter on Saturday has said that the outcome of the Constituent Assembly election would “truly represent the aspirations of the people”. Carter sees this CA election as very important to, “end the 12-years-long conflict, establish republican set up in Nepal and provide a new opportunity to the marginalized community”.

Report by:
Bhakti Nepal
For Nepaldalitinfo