The rudimentary traditional practices in marriages are deep rooted in Nepal, which is known for people of minor age entering wedlock to the tune of 7% of married couples being below the age of 10 and 40% of those being below the age of 15. Among such traditional practices in the country, the most outdated and inhuman practice is outrageous ill-treatment meted out to the couples entering inter-caste matrimony. Not much has changed from the age-old wrong practice of considering fellow humans ‘high’ and ‘low’ based on their caste descent. Especially, the marriages and sexual relationships between the two persons of so-called ‘high’ and ‘low’ castes invite the most serious troublesome consequences to the persons involved. Many of the newly wedded couples especially, when either a bridegroom or bride comes from a Dalit family and the other from a non-dalit caste, end up with a severe ostracized penalties pounded on them by the parents and relatives of the so-called ‘high’ caste one of the couple, costing them even their lives at times.

There are numerous news coming from the rural areas on such atrocities meted to the couples entering inter-caste marriages, especially involving a Dalit and non-dalit youth. The recent government allocation of providing a hardship allowance of Rs 100,000 for such a couple does not seem like a good enough remedial measure for breaking down the traditional wrong values handed down from the feudal past. The cases of injustice meted out to the victimized couples must be dealt with a stern legal instrument that must be in place against the wrongful social practices based on such erroneous traditional values that are proving themselves to be the social illness in the modern day social order. Recently, BBC Nepali Radio Service brought out a news on the plight of the victimised couple entering inter-caste matrimony that exposes this social illness rampant in Nepal. For more on this BBC story, click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nepali/news/story/2009/11/091125_dalitcouples.shtml.

Report by:
Bhakti Nepal
for Nepaldalitinfo Network

THE STRUGGLE FOR FULL CITIZENSHIP FOR DALITS IN NEPAL: APPROACHES AND STRATEGIES OF DALIT ACTIVISTS

By Sambriddhi Kharel, University of Pittsburgh

Drawing insights from in-depth interviews and secondary sources, Sambriddhi Kharel in this paper examines the struggle for full citizenship through the tactics used by Daht activists in Nepal. Dalit activists based in political parties tend to privilege the nation-state and its bounded sovereignty as the strategic and ultimate terrain upon which the struggle for full Dalit inclusion is fought, while Dalit advocates based in non-governmental organizations appeal primarily to international human rights and the claims to universal human dignity. The important political moment of People’s Movement of April 2006 brought these two groups together to fight locally for full citizenship rights.

Download the paper: THE STRUGGLE FOR FULL CITIZENSHIP FOR DALITS

Source: HIMALAYA, VOLUME XXVlI NUMBERS: 1&2, 2007 (Date of publication: June 2009), pages: 55-69.

THE STRUGGLE FOR FULL CITIZENSHIP FOR DALITS

The common agenda of Dalits in Nepal are proposed in three parts:

1) Common agenda and demands put forward by united forum of Dalit wings of all major political parties.
Click here –>>25-Point Common Agenda of Dalit wings of major political parties

2) Common agenda and demands put forward by 40,000 grassroots Dalit people representing various walks of life and organizations at the grassroots level.
Click here–>> 25-Point Common Agenda of Grassroots Dalit people and organizations

3) Common demands put forward by the Nepaldalitinfo International Network in 2003.
Click here–>>11-Point Demands of Dalits in Nepal

All these common agenda and demands agreed by all segments of Dalit communities must be incorporated appropriately in the new constitution of Nepal.

Kathmandu, November 3- Dalit Welfare Association organized a workshop today on state restructure, federalism and Dalit emancipation agenda in new constitution at the CCD Hall, Kathmandu. The chief guest speakers in the program were well known Human rights defenders and pro-Dalit civil society leaders duo Mr. Daman nath Dhungana and Padamrantan Tuladhar. Both the human rights personalities expressed deep concern over the Dalit federalism fact that the State must be able to address the Dalit entity free of provinces. They focused Dalit emancipation agenda is aimed to put Dalits in power. So, Dalits has to establish their own Dalit federal state in the new state restructure process. If the many ethnicities are proclaiming the caste ethnicity based province’s name, why not Dalits declare their own name in the federal state restructure. Federal element should consist of Dalit peoples, because if any geographical area has been declared for Dalit federal structure than everybody from Dalit community will have their base for building their new settlement. They will migrate from old home for making new home lands. Likewisem special guest honorable CA members (UCPN Maoist) Mr. Yakraj Bhandri also expressed present legal and social issues supporting their implementation in the society.

Mr. Padam Ratna Tuladhar cited a very genuine and significant example about the outlook of Dalit federal structure process. He presented that by the end of World War II than “Yehudi” peoples, the Jews were in dire need of settlement for their life. Then, international powers declared the state of Israel for them. Now, they have made huge progress to become a big power as developed nation. Similarly for Dalit settlement, the power holder groups should declare a significant area of land so that Dalits will make Dalit based province in the federal structure of unified Nepal.

In the workshop program, many different intellectuals were present to express their significant view about Dalit and federalism outlook. A working paper was also presented in the program by Motilal Nepali. The paper was commented with his views by Dalit intellectual Mr. Om Prakash VK Ghatraj. DWO chairman Gajadhar Sunar, JUP president Mr. Amrit Bishowkarma, CWSN Mohan BK, Party CCM Marxist unified Mr. Kes Bahadur Pariyar, Journalist Mina Sharma, JMC Deepak Pariyar, Sherpa Sewa’s Mr. Sanman W. Sherpa. and Dinesh Acchami (legal supports) were also present in the program.

Report by:
Motilal Nepali
Chaiman, Dalit Welfare Association
Kathamndu.

This Working Paper “Caste Based Discrimination in Nepal” has been taken out from a report on Caste Based Discrimination in South Asia. Drawn from the country report of Nepal, the paper provides insights to a number of historical markers that have been responsible for re-structuring of the State including the practice of caste-based discrimination and untouchability against Dalits in Nepal. This study prominently draws attention to the diverse nature of Dalit population which has to a greater extent revealed the in-depth nature of regional, linguistic, religious, and cultural, gender and class-based discrimination and exclusion. It further provides a detailed study of Constitutional provisions and policies with prior focus on historical discourses and present situation simultaneously; complementing the role of civil society organisations. This foregrounds the study in historical context and also draws relevance in the contemporary scenario; which serves an important indicator to draw new and realistic policies. Discrimination is practiced widely in all spheres and at instances takes violent forms. The study however advocates that Caste-based discrimination, including untouchability, could be eliminated by synchronic concerted efforts from the existing operators in Constitutional, political and cultural matrix.

Caste-based Discrimination in Nepal (Click at this hyperlink to down this report)

Working Paper Series. Vol. 3, No. 8, 2009.

Authors: Krishna B. Bhattachan, Tej B. Sunar and Yasso Kanti Bhattachan (Gauchan)

Edited by: Shukhadeo Thora and Surender S Jodhka

Published by: Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, New Delhi.

नेपाली काँग्रेसको ८५ जनाको केन्द्रीय कार्य समितिमा दलित समुदायबाट ५ जना निर्वाचित र थप एक जना सभापतिबाट मनोनित गरी ६ जना दलित समृुदायका व्यक्तित्वहरु सदस्य रहने व्यवस्था भएको छ।

नेपाली काँग्रेसको महासमितिको यहि २०६६ कार्तिक १५–१८ सम्म काठमाडौमा सम्पन्न बैठकको ऐतिहासिक निर्णयबाट अबको १२रांै महाधिवेशनको प्रयोजनकालागि भएको पार्टीको विधान संशोधनमा ८५ जनाको केन्द्रीय कार्य समितिमा दलित समुदायबाट ५ जना निर्वाचित र थप एक जना सभापतिबाट मनोनित गरी ६ जना दलित समृुदायका व्यक्तित्वहरु सदस्य रहने व्यवस्था, २४० निर्वाचन क्षेत्रबाट कम्तीमा १ जना अनिवार्य महाधिवेशन प्रतिनिधि निर्वाचित हुने व्यवस्था, साथै वडा, गाउँ, नगर, क्षेत्र तथा जिल्ला कार्य समितिमा समेत दलित समुदायको अनिवार्य प्रतिनिधित्व हुने व्यवस्था भएको छ।

यस महासमितिको बैठकबाट विशेषगरी दलित समुदायका विविध सवालहरुलाई सम्बोधन गर्ने क्रममा एक ऐतिहासिक निर्णय गरेकोमा उक्त निर्णयको हार्दिक स्वागत गर्दै सम्पूर्ण महासमितिका सदस्यज्यूहरु एवं केन्द्रीय कार्य समिति प्रति नेपाल दलित संघ एक प्रेस विज्ञप्ती मार्फत् हार्दिक आभार प्रकट गरेको छ।

स्थापना कालदेखि पार्टीको नीति निर्माण तहमा दलित समुदायको समानुपातिक प्रतिनिधित्व रहनु पर्दछ भन्ने एक प्रमुख माग राख्दै आएको नेपाल दलित संघले नेपाली काँग्रेसको स्थापनाकाल देखिको समावेशीतालाई पार्टीले संस्थागत गर्ने अथवा लिपीवद्ध गर्ने कार्यलाई निरन्तरता दिएको प्रमाणित भएको छ भन्ने समेत ठहर गरेको छ।

जीवन परियार
महासचिव
नेपाल दलित संघ
२०६६ कार्तिक १९