Dalit civic organizations call for an end to caste discrimination and violence

Kathmandu. A group of prominent Dalit civil society organizations in Nepal has urged the international community to take decisive action against the deep-rooted caste discrimination, violence and systemic exclusion of Dalits in Nepal.

The Dalit civil society groups, which submitted a joint report to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group of the United Nations Human Rights Council, have urged decisive action against caste discrimination, violence and systemic exclusion of Dalits.

At the UPR and Media Engagement Orientation Program organized in Kathmandu on Friday, Dignity Initiative President Roop Sunar said that according to the 2021 census, Dalits make up 13.4 percent of the total population of Nepal, but their representation at the government level is very low. He complains that there is no Dalit judge in the Supreme Court till date.

‘According to the 2021 census, 13.4 percent of the total population of Nepal, or about 3.9 million, are Dalits. But their representation at the government level is very low. There are only 6.18 percent Dalits in the federal parliament, 5.45 percent in the provincial assemblies, and 2.37 percent in the civil service. There are no Dalit judges in the Supreme Court till date,' he said.

Similarly, he said that even today, they are barred from public places, temples, hotels, shops, water tanks, places of worship, and are forced to endure pressure, intimidation, and humiliation from various levels of society when they try to adopt legal procedures in such incidents. He said that in some cases, the tendency to pressure to reconcile even before the case is registered has also hindered the justice process.

He said, 'Even after 19 years since the country was declared untouchability-free in 2063 BS, they are still barred from public places, temples, hotels, shops, water tanks, places of worship, and are forced to endure pressure, intimidation, and humiliation from various levels of society when they try to adopt legal procedures in such incidents. In some cases, the tendency to pressure to reconcile even before the case is registered has also hindered the justice process.'

He opined that although the government has made many laws and regulations on caste discrimination, it has not emphasized on their implementation. He also alleges that the government machinery is hiding the issue of caste discrimination in the country for the sake of the country's honor in the international debate.

In particular, violence against Madhesi Dalit women and girls has become more intense, and this situation is not only criminal, but also a deep shadow of patriarchal thinking and caste domination, according to Dalit civil society organizations.

The report points out that Dalits are very poorly represented in political and judicial institutions.

The report draws special attention to the double and triple discrimination faced by Dalit women, Madhesi Dalits, Dalits with disabilities, and other marginalized sub-castes such as Badi, Dom, Musahar, and Gandharva.

Similarly, the report also mentions the effects of climate change and new challenges such as the digital divide.