- राजेन्द्र फुयाल र दुर्गा खनाल

काठमाडौं, मंसिर ८ - सात बुँदे सहमतिको समीक्षा लगायतका विषयमा छलफल गर्न बसेको प्रमुख तीन दलको बैठकले राज्य पुनर्संरचना आयोगमा एक जना दलित समुदायबाट थप्ने सहमति गरेको छ ।

आयोगमा दलित समुदायबाट कोही पनि नपरेको भन्दै दलितका सामाजिक संघ संस्था र राजनीतिकर्मीले असन्तुष्टी ब्यक्त गरेका थिए ।

संसदको बिहीबारको बैठकमा माओवादीका सभासद् तिलक परियारले दलितको आयोगमा सहभागिता नगराईए संसदको बैठकमा अवरोध गर्ने चेतावनी दिएका थिए।

सिंहदरवारस्थित शान्ति मन्त्रालयमा भएको बैठकमा सात बुँदे सहमतिको कार्यन्वयनको समेत समिक्षा भएको काँग्रेस उपसभापति रामचन्द्र पौडेलले बताए ।

पौडेलका अनुसार शान्ति प्रकृयामा केही प्रगति भएको भएपनि अन्य विषयहरुमा प्रगती हुने नसकेको निष्कर्ष निकालिएको छ । घर जग्गाको फिर्ती, वाइसीएलको संरचना भंग गर्ने, सत्य निरुपण तथा मेलमिलापलगायतका आयोगहरुको निर्माणलगायतका विषयमा काम अघि नबढेको निष्कर्ष निकालिएको थियो ।

कात्तिक १५ गते राति भएको सहमतिमा लडाकु वर्गीकरणको काम मंसिर ७ अर्थात् बुधबारसम्ममा सम्पन्न गर्ने उल्लेख छ । यसैगरी माओवादीले द्वन्द्वकालमा कब्जा गरिएका सम्पत्ति पनि बुधबारसम्ममा नै फिर्ता गर्ने उल्लेख छ ।

यसैगरी वाईसीएलको अर्धसैनिक संरचना भङ्ग, वाईसीएलले कब्जा गरेका सरकारी तथा निजी घर फिर्ता र माओवादी नेताहरुले प्रयोग गर्दै आएका सवारी नियमन पनि बुधबारसम्मा नै गर्ने उल्लेख छ ।

सहमतिमा उल्लेख भएकामध्ये लडाकु वर्गीकरण सुरु भए पनि पुरा भएको छैन । द्वन्द्वकालमा कब्जा गरिएका सम्पत्ति फिर्तामा माओवादी उपाध्यक्ष मोहन वैद्य समूहको अवरोधले अघि बढ्न सकेको छैन ।

नेताहरुले शुक्रबार बिहान पुन बैठक बसेर मात्र संविधानसभाको म्याद कति समयका लागि थप्ने भन्ने सम्बन्धमा निर्णय गर्ने बताएका छन् । ‘यि सबै विषयको समिक्षाका आधारमा मात्र संविधानसभाको म्याद थप्ने समय तोकिने छ’ एमाले नेता शंकर पोखरेलले बैठक पछि संवाददाताहरुसंग भने ।

Source: www.ekantipur.com प्रकाशित मिति: २०६८ मंसिर ८ ०४:२१

नेपालको सबै प्रकारका संघर्ष युद्ध र जनआन्दोलनमा नेपाली दलित समुदायको उल्लेखनीय योगदान र भूमिका रहँदै आएको कुरा जगजाहेर नै छ । महान् जनयुद्धको क्रममा त झन् दलित समुदायका योद्धाहरुले अग्रीम मोर्चामा रही ऐतिहासिक भूमिका निभाएको सर्वविदितै छ । तथापि यसैको उपज गणतान्त्रिक राज्य व्यवस्थाको मन्त्रीपरिषद जति पटक गठन भए पनि सिङ्गो दलित समुदायको भूमिका र अस्तित्वलाई उपेक्षा गर्दै आएको तितो यथार्थतालाई दलित समुदायले भोगिरहेकाछन् । ऐतिहासिक कालदेखि सामाजिक उत्पीडनको प्रत्यक्ष मारमा परेका र राज्यसत्ताका सबै अङ्ग निकाय र क्षेत्रबाट पछाडि पारिएका दलित समुदायको पूर्ण मुक्तिका लागि सबैभन्दा हिमायती ए.ने.क.पा.(माओवादी) पार्टीको नेतृत्वमा बनेको सरकारमा समेत झनै बहिष्कार गरेर दलितलाई थप आक्रोशित र निराशा दुबै बनाएको छ । हाम्रो पार्टीले दलित समुदाय सम्बन्धी विशेषाधिकारको नीति जनयुद्धकालदेखि नै लिँदै आएको छ । तर विडम्बना पार्टीका उपाध्यक्षकै नेतृत्वमा गठन गरिएको इतिहासकै सबैभन्दा ठूलो सरकारको गठन गर्दा पनि दलित समुदायको एक जना प्रतिनिधिलाई पनि क्याबिनेट स्तरमा सहभागि नगराउनुले हाम्रो मोर्चालाई निकै नै गम्भीर बनाएको छ ।

सरकारको यो गठन पार्टीको घोषित विशेष अधिकारको नीतिप्रति नै ठाडै चूनौति मात्रै नभएर अन्तरिम संविधानको मर्म र भावना विपरित पनि रहेको छ । वर्तमान मन्त्रीमण्डलमा दलित प्रतिनिधित्व गर्ने यो शैलीले सामन्तवादी सोंच शैली र व्यवहारको झझल्को मात्रै नदिएर सिङ्गो दलित समुदायको अपमान समेत गरेको छ । साथै नेपाल सरकारको दलित सम्बन्धी समानुपातिक समावेशीको सवाललाई खोक्रो नारा साबित गरिदिएको छ । तसर्थ दलित समुदायलाई नै अपमानित र उपहास गर्ने गरी गठन र विस्तार गरिएको यो मन्त्री मण्डलप्रति हाम्रो मोर्चा कडा आपत्ति प्रकट गर्दछ । उक्त मन्त्रीमण्डल पुनर्गठन गरी दलितको समुदायको विशेषाधिकारको नीति अनुरुप सरकारमा थप अधिकार सहित समानुपातिक सहभागिताको माग हाम्रो मोर्चा गर्दछ । अन्यथा उक्त मन्त्रीपरिषदको विरुद्ध सिङ्गो दलित समुदाय र हाम्रो मोर्चा संघर्ष गर्न बाध्य हुने कुरा पनि यसै विज्ञप्ती मार्फत् नेपाल सरकारको ध्यानाकर्षण गराउंदछौं ।

तिलक परियार
संयोजक

सह-संयोजक
रणेन्द्र बराली

मिति: २०६८-७-२५

Press Release Document:>>

- अमर बिक

काठमाडौ, कार्तिक १९ -

संसद्बाट जातीय विभेद र छुवाछुतविरुद्ध जातीय विभेद तथा छुवाछुत कसुर र सजाय ऐन-२०६८ पारित भएको पाँच महिना मात्र भयो । यसै कानुनबारे जनचेतना फैलाउने उद्देश्यले राष्ट्रिय दलित आयोग र संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघीय मानवअधिकार उच्चायुक्तको कार्यालयले सञ्चालन गरेको १०० दिने अभियान जारी छ । तैपनि छुवाछुतका घटना भने निरन्तर भइरहेका छन् । छापामा आएका केही प्रतिनिधि घटनालाई लिने हो भने नुवाकोटमा छोइछिटोको निहुँमा एउटा दलित परिवारलाई निर्मम कुटियो । सभासद विश्वेन्द्र पासवानले आफ्नी छोरीको अन्तरजातीय विवाहलाई रोक्ने प्रयास गरे । दैलेखमा छोराले उच्च जातकी भनिने केटीसँग विवाह गरेका कारणले बाबुको हत्या भयो र भर्खरै गुल्मीका एकजना दलित युवकले मन्दिरमा पूजा गरेबापत दुव्र्यवहार र सजाय भोगे । छापामा नआएका र चुपचाप सहेर उजुरी नगरिएका वा बाहिर नल्याइएका घटनाहरू त धेरै होलान् । यस्तो भइरहनु नेपाली राज्यका लागि लज्जास्पद कुरा हो । यो निरन्तरतामा कानुनीबाहेक सामाजिक र आर्थिकलगायत अन्य विभिन्न कारणले बल पुर्‍याइरहेका छन् । उदाहरणका लागि कमजोर तथा अप्रभावकारी कानुन, कानुन र कानुनी प्रक्रियासम्बन्धी ज्ञानको कमी, छुवाछुतका पीडितहरू पीडक तथा पीडकको समुदायमा आर्थिक रूपमा आश्रति हुनु हो । सबैभन्दा पेचिलो कारणचाहिँ छुवाछुतसम्बन्धी विद्यमान कानुनहरूको प्रभावकारी कार्यान्वयन नहुनु नै हो ।

दलित समुदायबाट एकजना मात्र न्यायाधीश भएको तथ्यले कार्यान्वयन निकायमा दलितको उपस्थिति ज्यादै नाजुक रहेको पुष्टि गर्छ । जुन समुदायको व्यवहारविरुद्ध कानुनको निर्माण भएको छ त्यही समुदायका सदस्यहरूको बाहुल्य वा प्रभुत्वमा कानुनको प्रभावकारी कार्यान्वयन नहुन सक्छ । दुई वर्षअघि दैलेख अदालतले एकजना बाहुन पुजारीलाई दलितलाई जनै नबाँधेको अपराधमा कारबाही गरेपछि उक्त अदालतले आफ्नो एउटा नयाँ भवन शिलान्यास गर्दा पुजारी पाउन नै मुस्किल भयो । अन्य पुजारीसमेतले अदालतको काम गर्न इन्कार गरे र अदालतले जिल्लास्थित एउटा सैनिक गणका पुजारीबाट काम चलायो । सायद न्यायाधीशले आफ्नो व्यक्तिगत वा पारिवारिक कर्मकाण्डमा समेत पुजारी नपाउने अवस्था सिर्जना हुन सक्ने भयले पीडित दलितका पक्षमा न्याय दिन नसकेका हुन सक्छन् ।

कानुन कार्यान्वयन गर्ने अधिकारीहरू नै धेरथोर जातीय उचनीचको भावना र व्यवहारबाट ग्रसित छन् । यस्तो सोच भएका प्रहरी वा न्यायधीशले यसैविरुद्वका मुद्दामा न्याय देलान् भनेर आस गर्नु बेकार हुन्छ । अनौपचारिक सेवा केन्द्रको एउटा अध्ययनले देखाएअनुसार २०६३ मा दाङका जिल्ला न्यायाधीशले आफ्नो कार्यालयका दुईजना दलित कर्मचारीलाई दलित भएकै कारण पूजाको प्रसाद खानबाट वञ्चित गरी जातीय विभेद तथा छुवाछुत गरे । उनले बाबुको श्राद्धको टीका र प्रसाद आफ्नो भान्छेद्वारा बाँड्न लगाए पनि अदालतमा कार्यरत दुईजना दलित कर्मचारीलाई नदिनु भने । तर उक्त घटना प्रहरी वा अदालतमै नपुगी न्यायाधीश र कर्मचारीहरूबीच मेलमिलाप भयो ।

विभेदकारी मानसिकताकै कारणले प्रहरी अधिकारीहरूले सकेसम्म छुवाछुतका घटनाहरू दर्ता गर्न मान्दैनन् र पीडितलाई पीडकसँग मेलमिलाप गर्न दबाब दिन्छन् । घटनालाई दर्ता गरी मुद्दा दायर नै गरिहाले भने पनि ती मुद्दाहरूलाई नियतवश कमजोर बनाएर दायर गर्ने गरिएको बताउँछन् अधिवक्ता यामबहादुर चर्मकार । उनका अनुसार पीडितले न्याय नपाओस् भन्ने आशयको प्राथमिक अनुसन्धान प्रतिवेदन अर्थात् एफआईआर र सरकारी वकिलको मुद्दालाई कमजोर बनाउने उद्देश्य हुँदा जातीय विभेद र छुवाछुतसम्बन्धी मुद्दामा कारबाही कम हुन्छ । यसबाहेक न्यायाधीशले मुद्दा फछ्र्योट हुन लाग्ने समयलाई अनावश्यक लम्ब्याइदिँदा पीडितहरू मुद्दा फिर्ता लिन बाध्य हुन्छन् । कारबाही नै गर्नुपर्‍यो भने पनि न्यूनतम सजाय दिने गरेको पाइएको छ । न्यायाधीश रत्न बागचन्दले २०६३-२०६६ सम्म अदालतहरूबाट उपलब्ध मुद्दाहरूको अध्ययनमा छुवाछुतका पीडकलाई अदालतले त्यसबेलासम्म कैद सजाय नदिएको पाए भने अधिकांश मुद्दामा पाँच सय रुपैयाँभन्दा कम जरिवाना गरेको पाए । अध्ययनअनुसार छुवाछुतका अधिकांश मुद्दा फैसला हुन ६ महिनादेखि एक वर्षसम्म लागेका छन् । मुद्दा अभियोजनमा लागेको यत्रो लामो समय र पीडकलाई दिइने नगण्य सजायले पीडक र पीडकका समुदायलाई हौसला प्रदान गर्छ भने पीडित र पीडितका समुदायलाई न्यायको ढोका ढक्ढक्याउन निरुत्साहित गर्छ । तसर्थ छुवाछुतका घटनाहरूलाई प्रहरी प्रशासनमा दर्ता गर्नेदेखि अनुसन्धान, अदातलमा मुद्दा दर्ता र फैसलाको सम्पूर्ण प्रक्रियामा दलित अधिकारीको संलग्नता र समावेशी अभियोजनको आवश्यकता छ ।

Source: www.ekantipur.com
प्रकाशित मिति: २०६८ कार्तिक २० ०९:२३

According to PM’s aide Bishwodeep Pandey, the PM directed chief secretary Ghimere to distribute the cash to 22 Badi families in Chainpur as soon as possible. The money would be provided from the PM’s Relief Fund.

The PM’s order came after news reports said most of the Badi families were not in celebratory mood due to poverty. nepalnews.com Posted, Mon, 03.10.11 12:12 from the PM’s Relief Fund

Nepadalitinfo adds:
This is a positive move to provide relief to the needy Badi families. This is only one minor among many ways the State can provide compensation to Dalit families who have been traditionally victimized due to State sponsored caste based discrimination that carried from the feudal past to even today.

“… … … Today, the new state apparatus is striving to take into account the multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, and multi-cultural diversity of the country. Abolition of all discriminations and oppression based on class, gender, nationality, region and caste and creating an inclusive democratic system and a just society is at the heart of all our struggles for decades. Thanks to the ultimate sacrifice of the thousands of martyrs of the historic People’s War of 1996 to 2006, People’s Movement of 2006, Madhesh Movement and many other oppressed people’s movements that we have come this far to lay the foundation of a new Nepal. We have to consolidate these historic gains and institutionalize them in order to establish sustainable peace, justice and prosperity to all. My government is fully committed to doing that with the conclusion of the peace process and the writing of a new constitution through the Constituent Assembly at the earliest. The constitution will not only guarantee the fundamental democratic norms and values. But it will also ensure that our multi-party democracy is inclusive, participatory and life-changing for all, especially the oppressed laboring masses and the marginalized ones. … … …”

“In this context, I would like to remind this august Assembly of the poignant words expressed from this podium in 2008 by the Chairman of my party, Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the then Prime Minister, Com. Prachanda, about the landless peasants, downtrodden women, the so-called untouchable dalits and millions of exploited masses of Nepal who are aspiring for liberation from all forms of oppression and exploitation.”

- Excerpts from the address by the Rt. Hon. Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Prime Minister of Nepal, to the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Full address of the PM Bhattarai can be heard from the video below:

Address by His Excellency Mr. Baburam Bhattarai, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal at the General debate of the 66th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (New York, 21-24 and 26-30 September 2011)

RELATED LINK:
PM Prachanda addresses the 63rd UN General Assembly: CA is the most inclusive representative body

Kathmandu, September 23- Nepal Bharat Dalit Maitri Sangh (Nepal-India Dalit Friendship Association) organised a programme to welcome and honour the newly appointed Indian ambassador to Nepal Mr. Jayanta Prasad today in Kathmandu. In the programme, Law and Justice Minister Mr. Brijeshkumar Gupta was also present. The programme was chaired by Mr. Omprakash Ramdam, the chairperson of Nepal Bharat Dalit Maitri Sangh and was addressed by CA members and other Dalit dignitaries. All of the speakers highlighted the traditional and very long relation of Nepal and India and demanded Dalits of Nepal to be featured prominently in the Indian development aid to Nepal.

In his brief address to the programme, the Indian Ambassador Jayant Prasad stated that India is very much willing to support Nepal’s initiative to prepare constitution and remembered the contribution made by Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar who gave the inclusive constitution to India. This is the first time in Nepal that incumbent ambassador attended a programme organized by a Dalit organization and addressed it. His predecessors such as KV Rajan, Shivashankar Mukharjee and Rakesh Sood were met by the leaders of Dalit community several times and requested them to consider the plight of Dalits in Nepal and allocate some of its aid package for their development. Unfortunately as of now none of them did anything significant for the upliftment of Dalits rather they supported the agenda of elite establishment of the country. In his brief address to the programme audience, the Ambassador did not pronounce any words and concern related to Dalits of Nepal. However, one can expect that because of his attendance in a Dalit programme he may do something targeted to Dalits.

It may be reminded that as of now the Indian aid package has not reached the Dalits of Nepal, but it can be hoped that something better will turn up. If the Nepal Bharat Dalit Maitri Sangh succeeds to influence Indian aid policy to Nepal in favour of Nepalese Dalits then its existence could be justified, otherwise, it will simply be a means of leisure-time pass for a few of its leadership.

Report by:
Hira Vishwakarma

A Hundred Day Campaign against Caste Discrimination and Untouchability has been jointly organized by the National Dalit Commission (NDC) and the United Nations Human Rights Office in Nepal (OHCHR-Nepal).

On 16th September, the President of Nepal officially inaugurated the launch of the campaign and over a 100 participants, including Government representatives, Human Rights Defenders and media personalities, took part in the campaign’s first National Consultation programme.

Video message for Nepal by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

The ISSUE: Despite national legal standards and international obligations, caste discrimination and untouchability practices are still prevalent in Nepal, particularly in rural parts of the country.

This campaign AIMS: to widely disseminate the content of the recently promulgated Caste-based Discrimination and Untouchability (Offence and Punishment) Act 2068 to ensure its effective implementation. The ultimate goal is to ensure that victims as well as their family members are able to invoke the rule of law in order to access justice. A culture of accountability must replace the present culture of impunity in Nepal.

Campaign activities: Throughout the 100 day campaign, until its completion on 24th December 2011, various awareness-raising activities will be organized country-wide in collaboration with government authorities, human rights defenders, media and civil society members.

Ending: This campaign will formally end after a 100 days. However, its spirit and soul will live on, and continue to ignite the commitment to end caste discrimination and untouchability, helping thereby to ensure the effective elimination of one of the most degrading forms of human rights violations.

For more details please refer the websites of the NDC (www.ndc.gov.np) and OHCHR in Nepal (nepal.ohchr.org/en/index.html)

Visit the Campaign Home Page to make your commitment for: 100 Day Campaign against Caste Discrimination and Untouchability

Kathmandu, September 18- Academician Ramsharan Darnal, a legendary explorer of Nepali folks music and culture, who devoted his life in researching Nepali musical instruments, music composition and folk culture died today at Kathmandu’s Manmohan Memorial Hospital after a brief illness following a fall. Members of Nepaldalitinfo, an international network of Dalit intellectuals and friends of dalits, are shocked at the news of his sad and untimely demise, and pay hearty tributes to him and also express heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. The members of the network have been expressing their concerns about the health of Academician Darnal for past few days.

The Nepaldalinfo network considers the demise of Academician a great loss to whole Nepali society in general as well as dalit community in particular. The network demands with the Government of Nepal to pay a fitting tribute to Academician Darnal appropriately and release a postage stamp on his portrait to honor him.

>>> More about Academician Ramsharan Darnal http://nepaldalitinfo.net/wp-content/Ramsharan_Darnal.doc

- Dr. Drona Rasali
Founder and Moderator, Nepaldaltinfo International.

-0-

नेपाली लोक बाजालगायत कला तथा लोकसंस्कृतिको अध्ययन तथा अनुसन्धानमा निकै लामो समयदेखि कि्रयाशील अनुसन्धानविद प्राज्ञ रामशरण दर्नालको आज निधन भएको छ । लामो समयदेखि आफैले गरेको काम थाहा नपाउने रोग पार्किन्सन (Parkinson’s disease) पीडित ७४ वर्षका श्री दर्नालको काठमाडौंको कालधारास्थित आफ्नै घरको ट्वाइलेटमा लडेपछि १० दिन अगाडि स्रोह्रखुट्टेस्थित मनमोहन मेमोरियल अस्पतालमा बेहोस अवस्थामा भर्ना गरिएको थियो । दुर्घटनाबाट घाटीको नशा च्यापिएको कुरा अस्पताल श्रोतले बताएको थियो । दिन-प्रतिदिन स्वास्थ्यअवस्था गम्भीर बन्दै आज ६:१५ बजे उहाँको निधन भएको थियो।

पारिवारिक श्रोतका अनुसार श्री दर्नालको अन्त्येष्टी आजै आर्यघाटमा गरिने कार्यक्रम रहेको छ । श्री दर्नालका ३ छोरा र १ छोरी हुनुहुन्छ । प्राज्ञ श्री रामशरण दर्नाल दलित समुदायको कला संस्कृतिलगायतका नयाँ विषयको अन्वेषणका लागि जीवनभर लाग्नुभयो । लोक बाजालगायतका कला तथा लोकसंस्कृति सम्बन्धी थुप्रै पुस्तकका लेखक श्री दर्नालको निधनले नेपाली दलित आन्दोलनलगायत सामाजिक-सांस्कृतिक क्षेत्रमा अपूरणीय क्षति पुगेको छ । यस अवसरमा उहाँप्रति भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजली अर्पण गर्दै शोक सन्तप्त परिवारजनप्रति गहिरो समवेदना व्यक्त गर्दछु।

- पदम विश्वकर्मा
दलित मुक्ति मोर्चा (एकीकृत)
काठमाडौं
-0-

नेपाली लोक बाजा, कला, लोकसंस्कृतिको अध्ययन तथा अनुसन्धान तथा नेपाली दलित आन्दोलन लगायत सामाजिक-सांस्कृतिक क्षेत्रमा आफ्नो जीवनी सम्पनु भएका अनुसन्धानविद प्राज्ञ रामशरण दर्नालको निधनले नेपाली दलित आन्दोलनमा अपूरणीय क्षति पुगेको छ । दुखको यस घडीमा उहाँप्रति भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजली अर्पण गर्दै शोक सन्तप्त परिवारजनप्रति गहिरो समवेदना व्यक्त गर्दछु ।

पदम विश्वकर्मा
कोलोराडो, अमेरिका
-0-

लोक साहित्यकार एवं प्राज्ञ रामशरण दर्नाललाई हार्दिक श्रद्धान्जली !

नेपाली लोक बाजा-गाजाको अनुसन्धानकर्ता, लोकसंस्कृतिको अन्वेषक, लोक साहित्यको प्रखर लेखक एवं प्राज्ञ रामशरण दर्नालको आज सेप्टेम्बर १८, २०११ का दिन स्वर्गारोहण भएको दुखद समाचारले हामी सबैलाई स्तब्ध तुल्याएको छ | साहित्यकार दर्नालको निधनबाट नेपाली लोक-संस्कृति र साहित्यिक अनुसन्धानको क्षेत्रमा अपुरणीय क्षति पुगेको हामीले महशुस गरेका छौं | यस घटनाप्रति गम्भीर भै अन्तराष्ट्रिय नेपाली साहित्य समाज, केन्द्रिय कार्यसमिति एवं सम्पूर्ण अनेसास परिवार वहांको निधनमा गहिरो शोक गर्दै वहाँप्रति हार्दिक श्रद्धान्जली अर्पण गर्दछ । यस दुखद घडीमा शोक-सन्तप्त सबैलाई धैर्य-धारण गर्ने शक्ति मिलोस् भन्दै स्वर्गीय शरीरको आत्माको चिर-शान्तिको कामना समेत गर्दछौं |

सन् १९३७ मा काठमाडौँमा जन्मनु भएका दर्नाल प्राज्ञिक क्षेत्रका आदरणीय व्यक्तित्व हुनुका साथै हराईसकेका नेपाली लोकबाजा र लोकसंगीतको खोज-अनुसन्धान कार्यमा विज्ञ समेत मानिनुहुन्छ | आफ्नो सम्पूर्ण जीवन नै नेपाली संगीत र साहित्यमा अर्पण गरेका स्व. दर्नालका नेपाली संगीत, नेपाली लोक संस्कृति र बाजा सम्बन्धि अनुसन्धानात्मक दर्जनौ पुस्तकहरु प्रकाशित छन् |

ज्ञानेन्द्र गदाल
अध्यक्ष, अनेसास केन्द्रिय कार्यसमिति
एवं सम्पूर्ण अनेसास परिवार

Kathmandu, 9 September 2011- Dalit intellectuals, representatives of Dalit NGOs, Students and Dalit activists gathered today at Dalit NGO Federation (DNF) to jointly review the status of Dalits issues in draft reports of different thematic committees of the Constitution Assembly (CA). It was realized all the actors of Dalit movement have significantly contributed in constitution making process for a pro-dalit constitution. However, Dalits do not have any excitement having these different thematic reports of the CA, as they do not stand fully to the aspirations of Dalits.

The meeting discussed many issues of Dalits that are not covered in vital thematic committee reports of the CA. Also, the meeting of Dalit civil society has come up with programme to intervene the CA and its mechanism for rightly addressing the important issues in the draft constitution. It was found that the positions of Dalits in the proposed federal structures; electoral system and state governance model etc. are not explicit.

After discussion, Dalit civil society has come up with following programme to intervene the CA and its mechanism, political parties and other concerned stakeholders at first phase.

Action Plan of Dalit Civil Society’s intervention to the CA and its mechanism for addressing Dalits issues in the draft constitution follows:

1 Preparation of position papers of Dalits by 17 September 2011 (31 Bhadra)- Responsibility: DNF Executive Director/ a team Dalit experts coordinated by Nirmal B,K
2 Stakeholders meeting on position papers finalization on 19 September 2011 ( 2 Asoj 2068)- Responsibility: DNF Dialogue/Resource Centre DNF
3 Interaction with key stakeholders for addressing Dalits issues in the upcoming draft constitution on 20 September 2011 (3 Asoj 2068), Responsibility: Bhagat Sarbajit Pratishthan
4 Lobbying with main constitutional committee, major political parties, Dalit sister organizations, high level committee of CA on 22-30 September 2011 (5-13 Asoj 2068) -Responsibility: DNF President
5 Discussion programme with Dalit stakeholders on position papers of Dalits at regions from 18 October to 16 November 2011 (1-30 Kartik 2068) Responsibility: Five headquarters of regions, DNF
6 Position of Dalits in federalism on 25 September 2011 (8 Asoj 2068)-Responsibility: DWO
7 Dalits and electoral system in the new constitution by the second week of November (by the third week of Kartik)- Responsibility: JUP
8 Progress Review Meeting on 26 September 2011, ( 9 Asoj 2068) -Responsibility: JMC

Report by:

Suman Poudel (Bishwokarma)
Acting Executive Director
*Regards,*
*Dalit NGO Federation (DNF)
*Talchhikhel, Satdobato, Lalitpur
Phone: 01- 5527559
Email: dnf@dnfnepal.org
Web: http://www.dnfnepal.org
P.O. Box No.: 9251 Kathmandu Nepal

- Subhash Sarki

SEP 05 - Dalits have evolved officially as an identity group with constitutional recognition after a long and arduous journey of struggle in Nepal. They spearheaded their movement for social recognition and political space alone and together with both peaceful and armed movements. As a result, a Dalit does not hesitate to occupy a seat at a table where a high caste Hindu is sipping tea even in rural parts of Nepal. However, the fundamental question remains whether the high caste person actually looks up to the Dalit when he discloses his identity at the table.

A diagnosis of the Hindu high caste mindset is not much difficult when we have so many Dalits who themselves do not prefer to publicly admit their Dalit identity. This is clearly shown by the decrease in the Dalit population from 15.7 percent in the 1991 census to 12.8 percent in 2001. Along with an improvement in the socio-economic status, Dalits seem to be inclined to hide or change their traditional family names with something sounding close to high caste Hindus. Changing the ancestral family name and assimilation with Hindu high castes has been their strategy to release themselves from the humiliation of being a Dalit.

A section of Dalits has nurtured and promoted the idea of Mahatma Gandhi who believed that their status could be raised by changing or obscuring their traditional last names while still retaining elements of the caste system. But their status has not improved significantly more than half a century after Gandhi conferred on them the name Harijan to elevate them to a Hindu high caste. Although India has achieved double-digit economic growth and a Dalit woman Mayawati has been elected to the position of chief minister of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, incidences of humiliation and caste-based violence against Dalits have not ended.

The flipside of the proposition is even scarier because the effort to be absorbed into the Hindu high castes puts Dalits at a morally worse situation for promoting caste discrimination. Despite all the efforts and successes to assimilate Dalits into the Hindu high castes, a certain section of them is likely to remain where they were. Jacques Derrida, pioneer of the theory of deconstruction, has long before inferred that complete erasure is always postponed. The promoters of the movement have then obtained a place in the Hindu high caste and so bear moral obligation to sustain its characteristics. It requires them to impose discrimination and humiliation on the remaining Dalit population, from whom they have just separated, so as to maintain their position as high caste Hindus. A worse situation arises in this hypothetical situation when the former survivors surpass the ethical boundary of social justice which they had been pursuing until recently.

The movement towards assimilating into the Hindu high castes also puts its promoters at risk of psychological vulnerability of perpetuating humiliation upon oneself. For example, a person working in an organisation maintains a sufficient distance from Dalit colleagues for fear of his or her Dalit identity being revealed. They refuse to recognize themselves as Dalits. They do not fall short of inflicting verbal and behavioural humiliation at Dalits just to emphasize that they belong to the Hindu high caste.

A friend of mine who adapted a high caste surname said that his children grew up with their newly adopted last names, and never thought that their parents belonged to a Dalit community. One day, they went to a village where they encountered a taste of untouchability when entering the home of a high caste Hindu. These Dalits are destined to a fortune no better than that of Oedipus the King who suffered not knowing what he was running away from his whole life.

Entrapped in a similar deception, Dalits choose the route for their liberation engineered by Bahunbad. The route must be quicker and easier, but the destination they are heading for is, however, always procrastinated so as not to allow their liberation. Bahunbad always disguises the obviousness of sustaining its “superiority” only prolonging the emancipation of Dalits because the “superiority” of the Hindu high caste is a matter of their difference from Dalits and their delayed full-fledged identity evolution. It is done by disqualifying the ability to use the reasoning of Dalits via perpetuation of stereotype images.

The whole range of Bahunbadi discourses have inundated the Dalit identity with stereotype images so that their vision to see beyond their traditional identity has been limited. They cannot look at their distinctly glorious history of occupational contribution to the evolution of the modern world. While society was immersed in the illusion of angels and super lords, the ancestors of the Dalits were laying the foundation of art and science. They were excelling in the use of iron, gold, silver, bronze, animal skins, clothes, wood, bamboo and whatever material was available during the time. No expert knowledge is required here to see the correlation between their work in the pre-civilization period and current science and technology to confirm that Dalits were actually down-to-earth thinkers and practitioners and not barbaric and impure as represented by the images in Bahunbadi discourse.

Any effort to escape impurity ends in its acceptance as long as Dalits look for their liberation within this Bahunbadi discourse. The politics of annihilation will thwart the evolution of Dalit identity to its entirety. Whatever economically and socio-politically elevated position Dalits attain, the Hindu high castes will continue to look down upon Dalits for their Dalit identity, whether they reveal their Dalit identity or not, as long as the image of Dalits is perpetuated to maintain “superiority” of the Hindu high castes. Dalits will not be able to fully garner respect and dignity as long as they search for their elevation within the current Bahunbadi discourse. A new discourse has to be started by admitting that history has been constructed in a wrong manner so as to fully develop the Dalit identity and logically lead the Dalit movement that can place Dalits at the forefront as a graceful and dignified social group.

Article Source: www.ekantipur.com Posted on: 2011-09-06 07:09