Today the 28th of April 2009 an informal committee of CA members and RDN+DSDC formed to facilitate the interactions and dialogue between constituent assembly members of Dalit and pro-Dalit community and Dalit civil society groups. In the first meeting held 6 CA members Mr. Shanbhu Hajara Paswan (Chairman of Formation of government structure Committee) Nepali Congress, Mr. Hari Shreepaili Maoist, Mrs. Laxmi Pariyar, Nepali Congress, Mrs. Shantidevi Chamar UML, Mr. Puransingh Dayal UML and Mr. Biswendra Paswan, Dalit Janjati Party and Mr. Ganesh Bishwakarma from RDN and Mr. Hira Vishwakarma from DSDC were present. The meeting discussed extensively how the agenda of Dalits could be discussed and determined and fed into constitution making process. All the CA members present in the meeting shared their views and appreciated the effort of RDN+DSDC to bring in all and help create a forum for such interaction. They stated that though a Dalit CA members committee within CA has been formed and despite having code of conduct and other process already agreed it has not been functioning the way it should be. Now this type of initiative could create a venue to fulfil the gap.

All the members unanimously appreciated the role played by Mr. Biswendra Paswan in the CA advocating the Dalits rights and wished they could be like him. They said, due to different party lines and discipline they had to observe they could not support him openly, but they are always with him. They also requested Biswendraji to discuss the issues which he wanted to take to the CA for discussion prior to formal meeting so that they could generate support and build consensus within their party lines. While they have to follow the party lines Biswendraji is free to advocate in whatever way he wants, as he is all in all in the party. Being one of the party leaders out of 25 he gets more time and opportunity compared to other members. Laxmiji said, in the last one year period of CA she has hardly got opportunity to speak for three times for about 10 minutes in total, so it is not so easy for those coming from larger party. Replying to that comment, Biswendraji said there are 25 parties in CA and out of which 19 are very small and among 19 I am the most outspoken person.

Biswendra cautioned the members by giving the example of one incident during the process of Indian constitution making process, what had happened was in Maharastra, a committee was formed was very inclusive of that time, but three great leaders Neharu, Gandhi and Dr. Rajendra Prasad sat together and decided to take out the members from Dalit and other backward communities who were three in number. The person responsible was sent a message through Saradar Patel and he could not believe and accept the message thinking that all these great leaders are not tired of talking the welfare of the people like Harijans and other backward communities, after receiving the message for second time the person responsible could not believe and asked for a written message, and Gandhi wrote and passed on to him again he could not believe his eyes and decided to see him in person. Soon he went to see Gandhiji and after giving him respect by touching his feet he asked him, did he really write the letter to dismiss those representatives from Harijan and other backward communities, Gandhi said yes. He further said, if people become very happy and fulfilled by just talking to them nicely and giving them just lip services then there is no need of doing the same. Since the person could not deny the order of such great leaders of India, the three members were eventually sacked. He cautioned same thing could happen in Nepal, as the great leaders who are fortunately, or unfortunately Bahuns from three party are likely to do the same to Dalits.

The meeting decided to meet twice a month from now onwards and discuss the different issues pertaining to Dalits and take necessary roles. Since there are 14 committees out of which 11 are thematic and many of them are in the process of preparing their concept and submit to the main committee lead by Mr. Madhav Kumar Nepal, there is an immediate need to provide suggestions from Dalit side. To start with the meeting has decided to interact first with the Committee of State Restructuring and its one of the members is Mrs. Shantidevi Chamar. She has promised that she will talk to the chairman first and bring him to the larger forum of Dalits for interaction and if not possible she will herself represent the committee and take up the issues, concerns and suggestions of other CA members as well as Dalit civil society.

Mr. Shambhu Hajara Paswan the Chairman of Formation of Government Structure Committee will follow the State Restructure Committee and will soon interact with other Dalit CA members along with Dalit civil society. Mr. Hari Shreepaili and Purnasingh Dayal suggested bringing in other members of CA as much as possible so that they can contribute and be aware what outside the CA the Dalit civil society feels. The date and venue of the first interaction will be decided by day after tomorrow.

Report by:
Hira Vishwakarma
Executive President, DSDC
Kathmandu

HARIHARSINGH RATHOUR

DAILEKH, April 14 - District Court Dailekh has slapped a local Brahmin priest three months imprisonment and Rs. 1,000 fine on the charge of practicing untouchability in the district.

The single bench of district judge Thakur Prasad Sharma on Sunday gave the verdict against priest Dipak Upadhyay of Rum VDC finding the latter guilty of casteist discrimination against Shanta Bahadur Bishwokarma. Saying it was part of age-old tradition, Upadhyay had refused to tie the sacred thread around Bishwokarma’s wrist during Janai Purnima festival on Aug. 16, 2008.

Bishwokarma and Janaklal Sunar, a dalit rights activist, filed a complaint at the district court demanding strong legal action against Upadhyay.

Upadhyay, who had been absconding since the case was filed, surrendered to the local administration after political parties assured the dispute would be settled outside court. The court released him on general date two months ago. Upadhyay went on record at the court saying he had simply continued an age-old tradition.

Source: www.ekantipur.com

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Samatha Group, India

Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Finance Minister of Nepal, the second most powerful leader in the Maoist led government met today a delegation of Dalit activists from Professional Development and Research Centre (PDRC) and Dalit Studies and Development Centre (DSDC) to discuss the Dalit issues for incorporating in the forthcoming budget.

Kathmandu, April 13- Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Finance Minister of Nepal, the second most powerful leader in the Maoist led government met today a delegation of Dalit activists from Professional Development and Research Centre (PDRC) and Dalit Studies and Development Centre (DSDC). The activists were Ms. Kamala Hemchuri, Birendra Bishwakarma and Dal Bahadur Bishwakarma from PDRC and Mr. Hira Vishwakarma and Rajan Lohani from DSDC. In the meeting Dr. Bhattarai asked what would be the issues of Dalits and Mr. Hira Vishwakarma commented on the provisions made in the current budget of the government by mentioning the old age allowance for Dalits with the age of 60 where as it is 70 for others and making education free upto grade 12. He further suggested increasing the budget for Dalit Development Committee as current 50 million is peanuts for 4 million Dalits of Nepal. He suggested to follow the 3 years interim plan of Nepal government which aims to improve the inclusion index by 10 points. He emphasized the need of more investment on Dalits and Muslim to increase the Human Development Index of Nepal. Mr. Dalbahadur Vishwakarma stated that government’s policy of recruiting one teacher in each school has not been implemented. In reply Dr. Bhattarai said he would like to meet the more representatives of Dalits while he develops the next year budget and asked to come up with recommendations in writing. At the end President of PDRC Ms. Hemchuri thanked the minister for seeing the delegates of Dalits and hoped to have more interaction with the minister.

Report by:
Hira Vishwakarma
Executive President DSDC

Santoshi Bishwakarma reflects on the impacts of Maoists’ People’s War (PW) on the way to liberation of Dalits. However, the Nepaldalitinfo clarifies that the changes occurring cannot be wholly credited to PW alone, as there have been many other components of Dalit movement working simultaneously for the change to happen aggressively. The PW saw Nepal’s Dalit movement as a potentially powerful tool emerging to its advantage. Both the Dalit movement and PW benefited from an undeclared solidarity with each other.

- Santoshi Bishwakarma

The Nepalese People’s War (PW) is an important turning point in the history of the Nepalese Communist movement. Actually, a new era began after its initiation. There has never been such mass awareness and the participation of the people. Never have so many tribes, communities, castes, dalits, gender, region and the marginalized ever come into power.

The PW has brought so many changes in the lives of all people in the country. They all have started honourable lives in the society where before they used to be treated without any respect or dignity. Before the PW, the life of dalit people was miserable and poor. Dalits had to spend their lives in awful conditions despite the fact that they possess skill, efficiency, art and professionalism. Dalit women had to bear torture and harassment in the society.

The Aryan rulers ruled over the Indian sub-continent with the help of the superstitious beliefs invented and founded by Manu as the tools of repression. Kings and the Emperors were considered were considered to be sent to rule on Earth from heaven by God.

The feudal kings and the great kings declared themselves the incarnation of Gods on the Earth. They lived a very luxurious life and the people spent their lives as slaves. The kings and their helpers ran the supreme state powers. The people were forced to live stateless, property-less and right-less. According to the caste division, dalits were put in the hierarchy of the lowest caste. It means that they had to serve all the people of the upper castes.

The long practice of this type of discrimination erected a high boundary between the man-made different castes of human beings in the Indian sub-continent. Deception, intrigue, cheating and dishonesty became the religion of the high Brahmin caste, and to obey and follow the ruling class, to be weak and dependent, to be slaves was the religion of the poor Dalit people.

All the oppressed people, including Dalits, were taught to accept exploitation and repression as their fate because of sins committed in a previous life. Until the PW was initiated, the identity of the Dalit caste was backward, illiterate. To liberate themselves from repression and exploitation, dalits need to break the fetters of feudalism.

The historical participation and representation of the Dalit people in the leadership in all the sectors of the PW brought a drastic change in the life of the Dalit people and the traditional conception of the people. As the people broke the “norms and values” of the feudal tradition, they changed their way of thinking. They took the initiative to decide their own fate and became the captain of their path forwards.

Since the initiation of all the people’s movements and especially from the beginning of the Peoples War, Dalit people participated in the struggle of death and life to achieve liberty and the equality. Along with learning the scientific socialist ideology during the PW, Dalit women dwelling in those remote villages like Kotbada of Kalikot district seized rifles from the armed police by fighting with their bare hands.

Only the organized power of the people can ‘drop the emperor from the horse’. As people of the remote villages realized this, they were ready to sacrifice members of their own family and their property. Many of them have lost their husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers and many of their relatives. Most Nepalese families are martyrs families. They fought a historical fight in the war. The women carried their children on their back and gun in their hands. Really, it was the fight for liberty and equality. In the context of the PW in Nepal, we cannot separate liberty and equality from each other. They are closely related.

The motive power of the history is people. After the ending of feudal regime from Nepal, the oppressed class, marginalized and the ethnic groups have sent their representatives to the Constituent Assembly. The Maoist party has said that a nation cannot be a nation until and unless the exploited, the carrier forces of the civilization, are given full democratic rights to create a stronger national unity. According to this concept, we can build a beautiful garden of the different flowers in the 21st century only after the implementation of the dream of liberty and the equality.

Adopting and following these ideas, the Dalit people have sent their representatives to the Constituent Assembly. The representatives of all types of the oppressed people and the marginalized are now trying their best to write the constitution in favour of those people to build a new Nepal.

This article originally appeared in The Red Star

Source: Nepal: Ending Caste Inequality & Ethnic Discrimination

Arlington (Virginia, USA)- Nepalese American society for Oppressed (NASO) Community organized an interaction program in Arlington library, Virginia to gather ideas from Nepali intellectuals of different walk of life. The program was attended by Mr. Kali Prasad Pokhrel, Acting Ambassador of Nepal to the United States, DB Sagar Biswakarma, the President of ICDR (International commission of dalit rights), Bishu Thapa president of ANS (American Nepalese society), Madhavi Karki coordinator of ANWA (All Nepali Woman Association), Prem Sangraula ex-president of ANS, freelance writer Lekhnath Bhandari, Homraj Acharya runner of Washington DC Forum, Medini Adhikari General Secretary of ANA (American Nepali Association) , Dr. Chitra Krishna Tiwari, Rita Tiwari president of ANWA, Narayan Gurung representative from greater Washington Tamu Samaj, Ram Nepal social worker and Dr. Ramesh Sunar.

The program was hosted by eloquent speaker Deepak Jung Biswakarma. The program started with the presentation of draft paper prepared by active members of NASO by Padam Biswakarma. Some of the highlights of the paper that need to be addressed and incorporated into the new constitution of Nepal so as to preserve the right of Dalits are follows:
1. Untouchability and any other caste based discriminations should be considered unconditional crime and perpetrators should be brought to justice.
2. The new constitution of Nepal should guarantee the right of dalit.
3. Laws should be implemented at local levels, government, non government and private organizations to ensure no one violate the constitutional right of dalit. Free district level judicial counseling centre and government lawyers should be provided to help victim of caste discrimination.
4. Government should help dalits who are segregated into resourceless area by migrating them into more economically viable area of the country. Proper land reform measures should be taken by government to make dalit socially and economically active. Convert dalit’s hut into stable building.
5. Not only education should be free but also government should make sure it allocate at least one dalit teacher at every school in Nepal so that he insulate dalit students from discrimination.
6. Government should not tolerate Religion based discrimination. For example claim of birth right to do temple activities by Brahmins and prevention of Dalit from entering temples should also stopped
7. Institutionalized casteism such as giving hard time to Dalit by government officer, court official,
School teachers, hospital employee and entrepreneurs should be abolished.
8. Nepal government should form separate body to handle caste based discrimination. Various branches of such entity should also be active at states, district, villages and small community level.
9. Any literatures that promote caste baste superiority or inferiority should be censored and even be banned by the government.
10. Government should reward any productive dalit leadership so as to encourage others to do same.
11. Army, Police, and Government institutes should recruit Dalit. Reservation system for dalit should be constitutionalized so that no one can challenge it.
12. Television, Radio and many other mass communication media should broadcasts Dalit developmental issues.

Shortly after the presentation by Padam Biswakaram various guests were asked to express their views regarding the issues raised by NASO. The Nepalese Ambassador Mr. Kali Prasad Pokhrel praised the effort of NASO, and related people for their work. He further assured that the Nepalese Embassy would timely deliver whatever agendas put forward by NASO and its members on the basis of their experience and knowledge to the Nepali Government before the constitution is crafted.

Freelance writer Lekhnath Bhandari emphasized the need to follow the law strictly regardless of caste. He opined if everybody follows the law then justice prevails. His idea was to form stringent laws that protect the citizen not only caste and put everybody under the rule of law. His view was equally supported by Madhavi Karki the coordinator of ANWA who also believe that government should have severe rule to penalized people who disrupt the law.

Another intellectual Homraj Acharya suggested that government should not reward Dalit but also Nondalit for championing dalit leadership. Citing the example in united states where free food is provide to every kids in the US public school he stressed upon universal excess to health and education in Nepal. He rationalized doing so would not only provide equal opportunities but also prevent Dalit from caste label.

Rita Tiwari, president of ANWA expressed the idea that solving social problem would eventually open the door to everything. Campaign to make people aware about equality and motivate them to do so is equally as important as inscription of the constitution. He accentuated the economic migration of dalit as a good way to start.

Another prominent Dalit leader Mr. DB Sagar Biswakarma who is also a president of ICDR (International Commission of Dalit Right) cited the importance of electoral and proper representation of dalit in government body. He said federal units solely on the basis of caste and ethnic would be grave mistake for Dalits and other minorities. According to him the only way to secure dalit’s rights and make them politically active is through proportional representation of dalit in federal, village and local bodies.

Also Bishnu Thapa president of ANS mentioned the importance of abolition of certain cultural and traditional practices performed within the Dalit communities. She was vocal in freeing Badi women from being subjected to prostitution, stopping Tharu family from selling their daughters to high caste worker as a domestic workers, and teaching Dalit people to treat their daughters equally. She also strongly supported the idea of protection of right of women and children in the new constitution.

Ram Nepal another social worker blamed the practice of untouchability and caste based discrimination in Nepal and India to Hindu doctrines. He mentioned the importance of religious tolerance in the New Nepal and correction in the Hindu doctrine to freed dalit from oppression.
The program was concluded by Dr Ramesh Sunar and Mr. Dharam Biswokrama both of whom mentioned that caste based discrimination is national problem. Therefore including proper rights of dalit in the new constitution, effective laws ensuring dalit’s right in every government and private sector will make new Nepal very productive and discrimination free society.

Reported by:
Rajendra Senchuri, NepaldalitInfo.