Over a meeting with Mr. Pradip Gyawali in Washington DC, NASO Community members handed him the draft containing detailed proposal about how to liberate Nepali Dalits from the century old discrimination.

The University of Joensuu in Finland awarded MSc degree to Ganashyam Bishwakarma upon successful completion of his thesis research on educational status of Dalits in Nepal. Nepaldalitinfo international network congratulates Mr. Bishwakarma for his academic achievement and also expresses its gratitude for his contribution of bringing out information on the educational status of Dalits to the attention of the world.

Dalits of Nepal have got two of their leaders in the seats of junior Ministers in the new Government led by Mr. Madhav Kumar Nepal. Mr. Jeetu Gautam was sworn in recently as the Minister of State for General Administration. Mr. Khadga Bahadur Basyal is the Minister of State for Health and Population.
The nepaldalitinfo expresses its hearty congratulations to both the Honourable Ministers.

BBC Nepali Service reports a case of outrageous caste discrimination and untouchability practices meted out to Dalit students by their own teachers in their school in Dhangadhi, a far western Terai district of Nepal.

Dalan, a television serial that raised the issue of caste discrimination in Nepali society is finally coming to an end with its 52nd episode being aired on Sunday. ‘Dalan’ — a production of Jagran Media Centre — has a huge fan base in Nepal and abroad, show producers say, with nearly 400 fan clubs across the world. The series has been nominated for a special award by the One World Media Trust from the U.K.

दलित साहित्यकारहरुको साझा संगठन नेपाल दलित साहित्य तथा संस्कृति प्रतिष्ठानले साहित्यकार तथा राजनीतिज्ञ रणेन्द्र वरालीद्धारा लिखित “इतिहासको एक पैका” को यही शुक्रबार राजधानीमा समिक्षात्मक छलफल गरेकेा छ। स्मरण रहेास्ः रुपालाल विश्वकर्माकै प्रेरणामा प्रच48डलगायतका थुप्रै आजका राष्टि्रय ब्यक्तित्वहरु कम्युनिष्ट आन्दोलनमा लागी उहाँसंगै लामो समयसम्म भूमिगत भएका थिए ।

The Metropolitan Police Range, Jawalakhel arrested Bimala Lama from Man Bhawan on Wednesday on the charge of torturing Kalli Kumari BK and feeding her of feeding human excreta, accusing her for practicing ‘witchcraft’. Yagya Prasad Adhikari, head of protection and monitoring at National Human Rights Commission, said that the case demanded the highest action, as it violated human, women and Dalit rights.

“संवैधानिक आरक्षण सहित संघीयताका पक्षमा दलित आन्दोलन, राज्यको पुनःसंरचना सहित नयाँ संविधानका लागि राष्ट्रव्यापी जागरण” भन्ने मूल नाराका साथ आयोजना गरिएको छैठौंैं दलित संसदमा दलितहरुका लागि राज्यले लिनुपर्ने नीति र कार्यक्रम सहितको वैकल्पिक विद्येयक समेत पारित गरिएको थियो। सोही विद्येयक र संसदमा पारित घोषणा पत्रका आधारमा कार्यक्रम सहितको सुझाव नेपाललाई छुवाछूत तथा भेदभावमुक्त राष्ट्र घोषणा गरेको दिनको अवसर पारेर अर्थ मन्त्रालयले पाउने गरी जिल्ला प्रशासन कार्यालय मार्फत राष्ट्रिय दलित नेटवर्क, नेपाल (RDN, Nepal) को कार्यक्षेत्रका २५ जिल्लाबाट ज्ञापन पत्र पेश गरिएको छ।

Dalit NGO Federation(DNF) and its member organizations organized different programs on the occasion of the day Untouchability Free Nation. Nepal was declared as Untouchability free nation in 21st Jaistha 2063 (4th June 2006) by the interim parliament which was re-established from the people’s movement in 2006 where Dalit people significantly contributed.

Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has expressed regret over the country’s failure to uproot ‘untouchability’ . In a message issued on the occasion of Untouchability Free Day Thursday, PM Nepal said, “The Nepali society is in the threshold of progressive changes. (But) we still haven’t been able to rid ourselves from injustice, atrocities, discrimination and inhumane treatment. Among them the practice of untouchability remain as the most burning problem.”

The coalition partners of the newly formed government unveiled its Common Minimum Program (CMP) here today. The CMP envisages social transformation through special programs of education, health and employment for marginalized populations including Dalit and oppressed people, special programs of social security for the development of Dalits and oppressed people, while a promise has been made once again that the country will be freed from the practice of untouchability; and in doing so, stern actions against punishable crime of social discrimination and untouchability meted out to Dalits will be taken.

छुवाछूतको कारण दलित परिवार डेराबाट हटनु पर्ने समाचार कान्तिपुर दैनिक पत्रिका बाट सुन्दा हाम्रो ध्यान आकर्षण भएको छ । कास्की पोखरा सिर्जनाचोक निवासी सकुन्तला गिरीका परिवारले दलित बसेको घर जुठो हुन्छ भनि घरमा बस्न दिएनन । यो घटना दलित प्रति गर्ने अपमान, अन्याय, अत्याचारका अनेकौ श्रृखल्ला मध्ये एउटा अशं हो । अझै बर्वर विभत्स अन्यायका क्रुरुर दिनहरु बोकेको निरकुश सामन्ती सत्ता जीवित छ ।

मुहानै फोहोर भएपछि पानी कसरी सफा बहन सक्छ ? अब बिमलाले पढाएका विद्यार्थी पनि अरूलाई बोक्सी भन्दै अपमान गर्दै हिँड्ने त होइनन् ? - उर्मिला विश्वकर्मा

भारतीय सरकारी भक्षकहरुबाट १५ जना कलिला युवतीहरु दिनदहाडै वलात्कृत भएका छन्। र, करीव ६ हजारजना राप्ती पारी र वारा जिल्लाको दक्षिणी सीमाबाट विसथापित भई सदरमुकाम वरपर आएका छन्। ….अनि हाम्रो गौरवमय छवि भएको सेना! ….यो सेना जनताको हो की परमाधिपतिको? राष्ट्र र नेपाली जनताको हो भने राष्ट्रिय सीमामा अतिक्रमण भईरहँदा किन तै चुप मै चुप् छ? - सरोजदिलु

निश्चय नै दलित साहित्यमा सुन्दरता मात्र देख्नु दलित दृष्टिकोण हुन जान्छ । वर्गीय विचार हुन्छ । दलितसाहित्यको अन्तिम लक्ष्य र सत्य भनेको समतामूलक समाज अथवा समाजवाद हो र हुनैपर्छ ।

At length, the Durban review conference is very important, and it may enable the Dalit movement to put its voice very strongly at national and international fora to promote Dalit rights in the new constitution of Nepal. Unless Dalit rights are guaranteed in the new constitution and subsequent laws and policies are made to promote them, the violation of Dalit rights will continue in Nepal.
-Bharat Nepali

Santoshi Bishwakarma reflects on the impacts of Maoists’ People’s War (PW) on way to the liberation of Dalits.
The Nepaldalitinfo adds here to clarify that the changes occurring cannot be wholly credited to PW alone, as there have been many 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.

Commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this year, Nepali people are urged to stop all the discriminatory instincts from their heart and mind, while the Government of Nepal must create the necessary state mechanism for a legal and social environment that disapproves the instincts that are unacceptable to humanity of 21st century.