Can caste discrimination become history?

Dalit students going to school in Nepal

Samjhana Pariyar started at school a few months ago, but she doesn't enjoy her playground and friends. The six-year-old always wishes her friends would come and play with her, but up to now it has never happened.

Samjhana had the bad experience of being scolded by her friends for not having a nice lunch and a good school dress. But she does not complain to her mother, as she knows the difficulties her family faces in not even being able to repair their house, which was damaged last year.

"It's really difficult for us to stay inside the house during the rain," she said.

A dalit man busy at his traditional occupation, making clothing.

"Water always comes here in our bed and in our kitchen. All our clothes and bedding will be wet, my school dress too. On the rainy days my mom couldn't manage to make food so we go to sleep with a hungry stomach on a wet and cold bed."

Samjhana is a representative character of a child from the Dalit community who has suffered from a caste-based discrimination system and poverty. The Dalit community, which makes up almost 21 per cent of the Nepal's population, goes through this kind of experience in their everyday life.

Most of the Dalit people do not have their own land. One third of the Dalit population is landless. Most do not have employment - they are living on the proceeds of traditional occupations such as clothing and shoe makers. Most can not generate a minimum income from these occupations, and this kind of work is being replaced by modern technology. They can't attend school because of poverty, and almost 80 percent of Dalit people are uneducated.

Dalit women involved in micro-credit savings

There is little representation of Dalit community in politics. There are nominal Dalit members in central committee in the major political parties. Many in the community believe this lack of representation is a crime, but the issue hasn't come forward. There are different provisions that prohibit caste discrimination, but they are not truly implemented.

Dalits suffer a result of 'untouchability', although this does not, by law, exist. At least that is what one might conclude - from reading the country code of 1963, or the constitution of 1990, or the declaration of the recalled parliament in May 2006, or the interim constitution. All these have said that, "No person shall,on the basis of caste, be discriminated against as untouchable"-or the similar words, one or the other way."

But the real life experience of the Dalits is the contrary. Dalits believe that untouchability is only too much alive and that despite their significant number they continue to suffer from discrimination and human rights abuses just by reason of their caste. They are not even allowed to touch the water and use the public utilities.

One of the biggest problems facing the Dalit community is a lack of awareness among their own community about the laws. Laws have been poorly implemented and the government regularly fails to prosecute individuals who are engaged in caste-discrimination and other unequal treatment.

But at this time, Nepal is in the process of creating a new constitution by the Constituent Assembly to ensure the rights of every minority including Dalits, women and indigenous people. There is hope and a greater opportunity for the Dalit community to raise their voices. Around 50 representatives from the Dalit community are working on new constitution so that the caste discrimination will be a history for new generation.

Tilak Pariyar, one of the Constituent Assembly members from the Dalit community, says that equal and proportional representation of Dalit community in every sector is the only solution to encourage dalits to come forward.

"Dalits should receive special privileges as compensation for the discrimination they have faced," Pariyar said.

"If that happens then Dalits don't need a separate province. Dalits shouldn't seek their liberation alone, but should seek justice along with other ethnicities."

But there are always some questions: is it realistic for Dalits to rely on new constitution? Will it be as much a broken reed as the other documents?

It is important for Dalits not to expect too much from the new constitution, but to consider the new constitution a beginning. It is a framework for a new future, and both legislation and changes on social attitudes will be required for effective improvement in their situation.

One of the active members of the Dalit movement, Suvash Darnal, believes it is time for Dalits to make a real mark on the deliberations of Dalit issues and their rights.

"But for that Dll dalits from community level to activists and politicians should be unified and should come up with a collective voice," he said.Bidhya Chapagain and Laxman Darnal visited Radio Australia as part of the Australian Leadership Award Fellowship Program, with the assistance of the Asia Pacific Journalism Centre and the Jagaran Media Centre in Nepal.

pic and article credit to : radioaustralia