In a press release, Rastriya Dalit Network (RDN) Nepal welcomed the PM Prachanda’s specific focus on Dalit issues in his address to the nation broadcast on January 25. Ganesh BK, the President of the RDN appreciated that the PM has adopted in his address many of Dalits’ demands put forward by RDN and Dalit Parliament organized by RDN. However, he emphasized the need to implement the pledges the PM made to make the real difference.

राष्ट्रिय दलित नेर्टवर्क, नेपाल
Rastriya Dalit Network (RDN) Nepal

प्रेस विज्ञप्ती

नेपाल सरकारका प्रथम निर्वाचित प्रधानमन्त्री पुष्पकमल दाहाल (प्रचण्ड) द्वारा यही २०६५ माघ १२ गते नेपाल सरकारका तर्फ ट राष्ट्रका नाममा गर्नु भएको संवोधनले भूमिअधिकार, महिलाअधिकार, जनजीविकाका सम्बन्धमा र विशेष गरी दलितहरुका अधिकांश महत्वपूण मुद्दाहरु संवोधन भएकोमा सो संवोधनको हार्दिक स्वागत गर्दछौं ।

राष्ट्रिय दलित नेर्टवर्क (RDN) नेपालले आफ्नो स्थापना कालदेखि उठाउँदै आएको अधिकार सम्पन्न दलित अधिकार आयोगको गठन, हरेक गा.वि.स. मा छुवाछूत अपराध निगरानी केन्द्रको स्थापना, हरेक अदालतहरुमा दलित हेर्ने छुट्टै सेलको स्थापनाको माग गर्दै आएको र राष्ट्रिय दलित नेर्टवर्क तर्फ नेपालको आयोजनामा हरेक वर्षसम्पन्न हुँदै आएको दलित संसदमा यी मागहरु उठाउँदै आएको र नागरिक स्तरबाट संगठनको एक अभिन्न अंगका रुपमा छुवाछूत अपराध निगरानी केन्द्रको अभ्यास समेत गरिरहेकोमा प्रधानमंत्रीको संवोधनमा जातीय छुवाछूतलाई जघन्य अपराधका रुपमा घोषणा गर्दै हरेक अदालतमा छुवाछूत निवारण सेल, हरेक गा.वि.स. मा छुवाछूत अपराध निगरानी केन्द्र, दिलबहादुर रम्तेलका नाममा दलित शैक्षिक छात्रवृति कोष, सुकुम्वासी, हलिया, वादी, भूमिहिन, मजदूर लगायतका सम्बन्धमा ऐतिहासिक घोषणा मार्फ् हामीले उठाउँदै आएका अधिकांश मागहरु संवोधन भएकोमा हामी गौरब गर्दछौं र वर्तमान सरकारलाई हार्दिक धन्यवाद ज्ञापन गर्दछौं ।

हालसम्म दलितको अधिकार स्थापना गर्न थुप्रै लोकप्रिय घोषणाहरु हुने तर कार्यान्वयनमा वेवास्ता गर्ने विगतको परम्परालाई तोड्दै वर्तमान संघीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्रको सरकारले कार्यान्वयनलाई विशेष जोड दिने छ भन्ने विश्वास समेत लिन चाहन्छौं । अन्यथा नागरिकहरुले आफ्नो हक अधिकार प्राप्तिको अभियानमा निरन्तर लागिरहने कुराको सहर्षध्यानाकर्षा समेत यही प्रेस विज्ञप्ती मार्फ् गराउन चाहन्छौं ।

गणेश बि. के.
अध्यक्ष
राष्ट्रिय दलित नेर्टवर्क, नेपाल
“छुवाछूत बिनाको अर्को नेपाल संभव छ, आउनुहोस् निर्माण गरौं” “Another Nepal Without Untouchability is Possible ! Let us Build It !!”

Nepaldalitinfo Report

Janaury 25- Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” made a special address to the nation today. In his message to the citizenry, he declared Dalit community as economically, socially, politically and culturally the most oppressed and neglected lot in the country, a fact the state of Nepal had never admitted explicitly before. He maintained that the culture of untouchability still rampant in the name of casteism is a very shameful national blemish. “A man who considers a fellow citizen an untouchable can neither be a civilized man nor a democratic person; he can only be a criminal.” Prachanda said.

Declaring that the Government of Nepal considers untouchability as a grave social crime, the Prime Minister promised to enact a law that defines untouchability as the grave punishable crime and to establish an Untouchability Eradication Cell in every court of law in the country. Similarly, the PM promised to establish an Untouchability Vigilante Centre in the VDC level and also enact a law to establish the National Dalit Rights Commission. The PM further promised to establish Dil Bahadur Ramtel Memorial Dalit Education Scholarship Fund for all round upliftment of Dalit community.

The Nepaldalitinfo International Network of Dalit intellectuals and friends of Dalits of Nepal welcomes the Prime Minister addressing Dalit issues in an explicit manner as the statesman’s positive move to mobilize the citizenry towards a better “New Nepal”, where Dalits will have their rightful place.

The related excerpts from PM’s address follows:

“छुवाछुतका सम्बन्धमा
यो देशमा आर्थिक, सामाजिक, राजनीतिक र साँस्कृतिकरुपमा सबैभन्दा बढी थिचोमिचो र हँेलाहोचोमा परेको सामाजिक समुदाय दलित समुदाय हो। वादी समुदाय दलितहरूमध्ये पनि सबैभन्दा दलित हो। कथित उच्च जात-जातिहरूका लागि लाखौंको संख्यामा रहेको दलित समुदायका हातको पानी अझैं चल्दैन। मन्दिरका ढोकाहरूसमेत यिनका लागि बन्द छन्। विद्यालय, होटल र धारा-कुवामा भेदभावको संस्कृति अझै कायम छ। जातपातका नाममा यो अत्यन्तै लज्जास्पद राष्ट्रिय कलङ्क हो। आफूजस्तै नागरिकलाई अछूत सम्झने कोही पनि सभ्य मानिस र लोकतन्त्रवादी हुनै सक्दैन, केवल अपराधी हुनसक्छ। लाखौं नागरिकलाई मानिस नठान्ने यो सोचाइ र संस्कृति घोर अमानवीय छ। त्यसैले यो सरकार घोषणा गर्छ- छुवाछूत जघन्य सामाजिक अपराध हो। यसको लागि मौजुदा कानुन अपूर्ण छ भने यथाशिघ्र नयाँ कानुन बनाई छुवाछूतलाई जघन्य कसुरका रुपमा परिभाषित गरी कडाइका साथ कारबाही गरिने छ। यो अपराधलाई निर्मूल पार्न कानुनी व्यवस्था मिलाई हरेक अदालतमा छुवाछूत निवारण सेलको व्यवस्था गरिने छ।

यसैगरी हरेक गाविसमा दलितको अनिवार्य सहभागितामा अधिकारसम्पन्न छुवाछूत अपराध निगरानी केन्द्र गठन गरिने छ। छुट्टै कानुनबाट राष्ट्रिय दलित अधिकार आयोग गठन गर्ने तयारी भइसकेको छ। छुवाछूत प्रथा र दलित वा विपन्न समुदायका अशक्त महिलाहरूलाई बोक्सीको आरोप लगाएर अपमान गर्ने र यातना दिने प्रथाजस्ता अनेकौँ सामाजिक र सांस्कृतिक कुप्रथाहरूलाई उन्मूलन गर्नका निम्ति सामाजिक-सांस्कृतिक जागरण अभियानमा सरिक हुन म मुलुकभरिका संवेदनशील तथा सचेत संस्कृतिकर्मीहरूलाई विनम्र आग्रह गर्दछु। यस सन्दर्भमा जनयुद्ध र जनआन्दोलनमा दलित समुदायले पुर्‍याएको योगदानको सम्झना गर्दै दलित समुदायको उत्थानका लागि सहिद दिलबहादुर रम्तेलका नाममा दलित शैक्षिक छात्रवृत्ति कोष स्थापना गरिने छ। मलाई लाग्छ, दलित समुदायका लागि यो निश्चितै रुपमा हर्ष र गौरवको कुरा हो।”

प्रधानमन्त्रीको सम्बोधनको पूर्ण विवरण (Video)

प्रधानमन्त्रीको सम्बोधनको पूर्ण विवरण (Fulltext of the speech)

Report by:
Bhakti Nepal
for Nepaldalitinfo.

Nepaldalitinfo Report

Washington, January 20- Barack Hussein Obama II took the oath of office to become the 44th President of United States of America today in the Presidential Inauguration ceremony. He became the first black American to have ascended to the most powerful position in the world, overcoming all kinds of racial barriers.

Indeed, this Tuesday proved to be the Day when race and disability both crossed the barriers of long held stereotypes that black and disable cannot reach the top of the ladder of power. The historic event happened on the day very next to Dr Martin Luther King’s day. Despite Barack Obama sidelining himself from much of African-American rhetoric during his presidential campaign, his victory does carry a symbol of hope for black Americans. The crowd of approximately 1.8 million people that flocked around Capitol building across the National Mall today to attend the mammoth ceremony had many jubilant Blacks in attendance, who otherwise wouldn’t show up in such massive numbers in the past presidential inaugurations.

About 30 million slaves (roughly the size of current population of Nepal) were brought by so called white slave drivers few hundreds years ago into the land of freedom. Some died on their way, others stopped breathing while working days and nights to build newly discovered land, and the rest were left to face lynching, segregation and grudges for centuries to come. Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated while fighting for freedom.

Poet Elizabeth Alexander in her speech following the Obama’s Presidential inaugural speech said,

“Sing the names of the dead who brought us here
who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges,
picked the cotton and the lettuce, built
brick by brick the glittering edifices
they would then keep clean and work inside of.”

Former President Bill Clinton was quick to praise her tribute as solid and well thought.

Another victory was for Joe Biden the vice president who stuttered and couldn’t say a sentence until his college life. In his Democratic Convention speech, he humbly admitted his stuttering and said his grandmother often told him his speech difficulty was due to his immense knowledge. Speech impediment didn’t prevent him from getting where Joe is today.

A dentist from North Carolina Dr Ramesh Sunar maintains that Dalits of Nepal are no different from slaves of America. The situation of Dalits in Nepal is similar to both slaves and stutters who cannot fully express themselves. Let’s hope the new record set by two oppressed people (Obama and Biden) will encourage Dalits of Nepal to fight for their rights. If Obama can overcome race barrier and Biden can conquer his stuttering, there is no reason why we the Dalits can’t conquer untouchability and live with dignity. Yes, we can!

Some of the selected throught provoking excerpts from the President Obama’s inauguration speech follow:

“The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.”

“Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction. “

“Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.”

“For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. “

Report by-
Rajendra Senchuri
Moderator, Nepaldalitinfo
Washington DC.

Bimal Gadal, who is presenting at the Brandeis University, Boston, United States is currently a graduate student of the University.

Name of the book: Dalits in Federalism (in Nepali)
Authers: Man Bahadur Bk and Chakraman Bishwakarma (Editors)
Publisher: Dalit Welfare Organization
First Edition: 2008

The book ‘Dalits in Federalism’ can be a cornerstone to initiate the discourse on Dalits’ space in Federal republic envisaged through the new political consensus. The book is a collection of some eleven articles of prominent writers from different sectors. It consists of the article of the academic persons like Dr Mahendra Lawoti, Man Bahadur Bk, Yam Bahadur Kisan, Tek Tamrakar, Tej Sunar and Hitman Gurung who have been involved in several researches/book publications on the issue of Dalits and marginalized groups. Likewise it includes the article of some prominent leaders of the political parties such as Bishwabhakta Dulal (Ahuti) from Jana Morcha, Pradeep Gyawali from NCP (UML) and Narahari Acharya from Nepali Congress. All these leaders are also the CA members. Their articles give the vew of their political party on Dalit issue and federalism as well. Likewise, the article of Andreas Follesdal from Oslo University gives plight on the ‘insight’ of the ‘outsiders’ in making space for Dalits in federal system with the experience of some other countries.

The book has analyzed various federal models proposed in the country. However, none of those models has considered on Dalits’ space in federalism. Most of the models are concentrated either on ethnic or geographical consideration. So, Andreas gives the example of increasing layer of exploitation for marginalized groups by creating state and sub-states under federalism. However, the book has also proposed the possibility of constituting some Dalit dense states i.e. one in Terai and two in Hill as there are 12 districts with more than 20% Dalit population and 17 districts with 15-19% Dalit population. Maoist has proposed Tamu Rajya which constitutes mere 17 % Gurung population. Most importantly the book opens the discussion on very crucial topic ‘Fiscal Federalism’ which has not yet been the agenda for discussion in the whole Nepalese sphere.

Thus this is the right time without any delay to bring the discourse ahead on the ‘Space of Dalits’ in federal republic. The book can be a good resource to push the discussion in a logical way.

The book is yet to be launched

Contact for book:

DWO, Central office
Tripureswor, Kathmandu
Phone No: 4226508
Email: dwo@wlink.com. np

संविधानसभामा जस्तो यति ठूलो दलितको सहभागिता कुनै संसदमा थिएन । यति राम्रो संख्यामा प्रतिनिधित्व हुँदा उत्पीडितजनले केही प्रतिफलको आशा राख्नु अस्वाभाविक होइन ।

सभामा बसेर भत्ता पचाउँदै बाहुन-क्षत्री नेताका भाषणमा ताली पिट्न सीमित रहेको प्रतिनिधित्व खेदजनक छ । दलितको उपस्थिति देखाएर सभामा पनि बालिघरे प्रवृत्ति जारी राख्ने नेताप्रति र तिनका अघि पुच्छर लुकाउने दलित सभासदहरूलाई खबरदारी गर्नुपर्छ । नत्रभने दाहाल, कोइराला र खनालहरूले दलितलाई आगामी दशक र शताब्दीहरूमा पनि अछूत बनाइराख्न सफल हुनेछन् ।

- मित्र परियार

उत्पीडित, उपेक्ष्ाित, अपहेलित लगायतले चाहेको र खोजेको मोडलको राज्यसत्ता निर्धारण गर्ने थलो संविधानसभा हो भन्ने भाषण हुनथालेको धेरै भएको छैन । तमाम जातजाति, भाषाभाषी, पेसा, क्ष्ाेत्र तथा वर्गका नागरिकको हक-अधिकार सुनिश्चित गर्ने माध्यम भनेकै उक्त निर्वाचित निकाय हो भन्ने धेरैले बुझेका थिए । दुर्भाग्य, जनतामा विश्वास घट्दै गएको छ । र यसमा उपेक्षितका आवाज घनिभूत रूपमा उठ्न सकिरहेको छैन । यहाँ उपेक्षित समुदायको सहभागी जनाउने पनि भत्तामा रमाउँदै मौन छन् ।

सभासदहरूमा पनि सम्भवतः सबैभन्दा नेतापरस्त देखिएका छन्, दलितका प्रतिनिधिहरू । दलितहरूले दलितको विषयलाई गतिलो ढङ्गले उठान गर्नसकेका छैनन् । मुलुकमा अझै पनि सबैभन्दा बढी हेपिएका, चेपिएका र थिचिएका जनता दलित नै हुन् । देश गणतन्त्र बन्यो भनिन्छ, तर दलितमाथिको थिचोमिचो भनेे राजा महेन्द्रको

पालाको भन्दा फरक छैन । दलित नेता राजनीति गरेकै जातीय भेदभावका विरुद्ध लड्न हो भन्ने गर्छन् । तर आफूले समेत भोग्दै आएको पीडा सभाहलमा पुगेपछि किन बिर्सन्छन्, आफूलाई दलितको खाँटी नेता ठान्नेहरू ?

अहिले मधेसी, जनजाति लगायत राज्यसत्ताबाट टाढा राखिएका जनताले आफ्ना आन्दोलनलाई निकै उचाइमा पुर्‍याएका छन् र बेला-बेला खबरदारी गरिरहेका छन् । यो कदम ज्यादै समसामयिक र उपयुक्त छ, किनभने फलाम तातेको बेलामा हान्नसकेमात्रै त्यसलाई चाहेको आकारमा ढाल्न सकिन्छ । तर अर्काे नलुकेको तथ्य यो छ कि मधेसी र जनजातिबाट समेत दलितहरू निरन्तर अपहेलित र अपमानित हुँदैछन्, आजसम्म पनि । आफ्नो अधिकार खोज्नेले आफ्नो जिम्मेवारी पनि बिर्सनु नहुने हो, तर यसतर्फ मधेसी र जनजाति नेता-कार्यकर्ताको पटक्कै ध्यान गएको देखिँदैन ।

आखिर बाहुन-क्ष्ात्री नेतृत्वको पेलान त अरू जातिका नेता-कार्यकर्तामाथि पनि नभएको पक्कै होइन । तर दलितमात्रै किन फगत नेताको अन्धभक्त देखिँदैछन् ? दलितका नाममा खोलिएका संगठन किन दलितका खातिर सिन्को भाँच्दैनन् ? किन उनीहरू बाहुन-क्षत्री नेताका पुच्छरमात्रै बनिरहेका छन् ? भाषणमा दलित मुक्तिबारे बहुत ठूला गफ हाँक्ने उनीहरू पार्टी नेताका अगाडि गरुडको अगाडि सर्पजस्तो हुन्छन् । यही परम्परा कायमै रहने हो र संविधानासभा बाहिरकाले पनि आँखा चिम्लेर तिनलाई बेलैमा खबरदारी नगर्ने हो भने राज्यले सजिलै दलितलाई थाङ्नामा सुताउनेछ ।

नेता दलितले आफ्ना समुदायको हकहितप्रति देखाएको उदासीनता कुनै नौलो विषय होइन । हिजो राजाका वा पार्टी प्रमुखका अगाडि दलितका नाम जप्तै जी…हजुरी गरी राष्ट्रिय पञ्चायत वा राष्ट्रियसभामा पुग्थे, तर पद प्राप्त हुनेबित्तिकै तिनको ठाँट बेग्लै हुन्थ्यो र भन्ने गर्थे- ‘हामी दलितको मात्रै सांसद कहाँ हो र ? हामी त राष्ट्रको सांसद ।’ त्यस प्रकारको सोच र दृष्टिकोण लिएकाले दलितको भलाइखातिर कुनै कसरत गर्ने त कुरै भएन । त्यसरी दलितको नाममा राज्यबाट चाट्ने तर दलितको हितमा सिन्को नभाँच्ने दलित अगुवाहरू अझै जीवितै छन् । व्यक्तिमात्रै होइन, त्यो प्रवृत्ति पनि जीवितै छ । किन ? सबैभन्दा ठूलो समस्या बालिघरे प्रथाको मनोवैज्ञानिक हो ।

नेपालका धेरै गाउँघरमा र राजधानी सहरका काँठहरूमा समेत अझै पनि दलित जातिले बालिघरे चलन छाडेका छैनन् । वर्षभरि बिष्टको सारा काम गरेबापत बिष्टको इच्छाअनुसार वाषिर्क रूपमा अन्नबाली दिने गरिन्छ । दलितको श्रम र सीपको चरम दुरुपयोग र अवमूल्यनमा अढेको यो चलन गरिबीका कारण दलितले चाहेर पनि छाड्नसकेका छैनन् । दुर्भाग्यवश, दलीय राजनीतिमा लागेका दलितहरूकोे हालत र हविगत पनि बिष्टको घरमा सिउन गएको दमाईको भन्दा खासै भिन्न छैन । उनीहरू दाहाल, कोइराला, खनाल नामक बिष्टहरूको चाकडीमा सीमित छन् । त्यसकारण दलितको न आन्दोलन छ, नत जल्दाबल्दा मुद्दा उठाइएको छ ।

संविधानसभामा जस्तो यति ठूलो दलितको सहभागिता कुनै संसदमा थिएन । यति राम्रो संख्यामा प्रतिनिधित्व हुँदा उत्पीडितजनले केही प्रतिफलको आशा राख्नु अस्वाभाविक होइन । तर संख्या आफैंमा ठूलो कुरो होइन भन्ने तर्क अहिले बलियो बनेको छ । सभामा बसेर भत्ता पचाउँदै बाहुन-क्षत्री नेताका भाषणमा ताली पिट्न सीमित रहेको प्रतिनिधित्व खेदजनक छ । दलितको उपस्थिति देखाएर सभामा पनि बालिघरे प्रवृत्ति जारी राख्ने नेताप्रति र तिनका अघि पुच्छर लुकाउने दलित सभासदहरूलाई खबरदारी गर्नुपर्छ । नत्रभने दाहाल, कोइराला र खनालहरूले दलितलाई आगामी दशक र शताब्दीहरूमा पनि अछूत बनाइराख्न सफल हुनेछन् ।

Source: Kantipur Daily, Kathmandu (January 8, 2009)

nepal dalit Google News Alerts- 2009: A year round compilation of weblinks for on-line news and views relating to Dalits of Nepal.

January, 2009:

nepal dalit Google News Alerts Jan 2009

Nepaldalitinfo Report

Kathmandu, January 2- Biswendra Paswan, the only Constitution Assembly (CA) member from Dalit Janajati Party, is turning a Dalit hero for pressing Dalit demands in the parliamentary session of CA. Yesterday, in his leadership the session of parliament was suspended, as he opposed the bill which has proposal to reduce the Dalit student quota for Medical College admission from 15 to 9%. As on previous days, he received support from a few Madhesi and Muslim parliamentarians but none from Dalit CA members. The voice of Dalits across the country is being ignored by other Dalit CA members.

Dalit intellectuals are starting to express their solidarity to Mr. Biswendra Paswan for his heroic deeds in the CA legislature, fighting for the cause of Dalits and Dalit students. Meanwhile Paswan received a computer set along with printer donated by Dr. Ramesh Sunar, a well-established dentist in Charlotte, NC USA, through the executive president of Dalit Studies and Development Centre Mr. Hira Vishwakarma amidst a small function organized at the party office situated in Gaushala, Kathmandu. Mr. Paswan who has been seemingly the only hope of Dalit community to play a crucial role in the ongoing constituent assembly on behalf of Dalit thanked Dr. Sunar for his generosity and Mr. Vishwakarma for his coordination. He emphasized that a computer which cost nearly 40,000 rupees is the largest donation he ever received from Dalits for the cause of Dalit rights. With this support he will be able to perform his work more efficiently. Yesterday, in his leadership when the session of parliament was withheld as he opposed the bill which has proposal to reduce the Dalit quota from 15 to 9%, he received support from a few Madhesi and Muslim parliamentarians but none from Dalits. One of the senior Dalit leaders even commented “Mr. Paswan insulted the Dalits by opposing the ongoing session”. However, it may be noted that he is the same member of CA who is a mere spectator of the occasions where Dalits issues are denied by some of the Bahun members. Paswan also informed that while all Bahuns irrespective of their party line and ideology have come together, but not the Dalits despite their genuine cause.

Information Source: Hira Vishwakarma

RELATED NEWS:

House Proceeding Put Off Yet Again

THT Online
Kathmandu, January 6

Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang adjourned the regular session of legislature-parliament for the second consecutive day on Monday after fringe parties threatened to disrupt the House proceedings over Scholarship (third amendment) Bill, 2065.
The Bill has proposed to provide nine per cent scholarship seats available to the government in educational institutions to Dalit, Muslim, backward communities and backward region. Small parties said the Bill had reduced the quota for Dalit, Muslim, backward communities and backward region from 15 to nine per cent. They have demanded that the Bill be withdrawn and the quota for these people be increased for up to 20 per cent, considering their backward socio-economic condition.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ was supposed to address the House expressing government’s commitment to implement the nine-point agreement reached with main opposition Nepali Congress on November 11. But he has not been able to address the House due to fringe parties’ threats to disrupt the House for the last two days.
Bishwendra Paswan, leader of Dalit Janjati Party, said the PM was ready to withdraw the Bill but was non-committal to table it again with necessary revision as per their demand. Paswan said the Bill was formulated without taking into account any set principle.
Results of MBBS entrance examination have been affected because of the the absence of the Bill related to scholarship. Students have been taking to the streets demanding early publication of the results of the entrance examination.
The House will resume tomorrow afternoon.

House adjourned again

The legislative meeting of the Constituent Assembly was adjourned for the 3rd time on Monday as smaller parties threatened to disrupt the proceedings.

CA chairman Subas Nemwang in a notice stated that the House had been postponed for Tuesday. The notice was delivered four hours after the planned sitting of the legislative parliament.

Smaller parties including Nepal Sabdbhawana Party, Dalit Janajati Party and Chure Bhawar Ekata Party, threatened to disrupt the proceedings accusing the government ignoring their demands including changes in the Scholarship Bill (3rd Amendment) and representation of Muslims in the Constitutional Committee.

They have also demanded written assurance from the government to withdraw the bill.

The assembly proceedings had been disrupted earlier too as Nepali Congress abstained itself from the parliamentary business. nepalnews.com ia Jan 05 09

House adjourned as fringe parties threaten to obstruct debate

The legislative meeting of the Constituent Assembly has been adjourned till 11 am Monday with smaller parties threatening to disrupt the session demanding changes in the Scholarship Bill (3rd amendment) presented by the Education Minister.

Lawmakers were informed about the adjournment through a notice around 4:30 pm whereas the meeting was to take place at 2 pm.

Talking to reporters, lawmaker Bishendra Paswan of Dalit Janajati Party (DJP) said the debate on the bill would not be allowed unless the Prime Minister expresses commitment in the House to incorporate the demands of Dalits and minorities in government scholarships. They have also demanded representation of Muslims in the Constitutional Committee of the CA.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had held a meeting with the leaders of the smaller parties including DJP and Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi) in a bid to convince them to allow the parliamentary proceedings, but the meeting remained inconclusive. nepalnews.com Jan 04 09