MAR 22 -
Nepal has long history of caste-based discrimination and untouchability. Dalit communities have been struggling for 66 years to destroy traditional discriminatory practices. But this mission is not easy when Dalit are fighting the so-called upper castes but the norms and values of discrimination have strong roots within Dalit communities.
There are five Dalit castes from the hills, five from the Valley and more than 15 are from the Tarai. And within these communities, there are caste hierarchies and discriminatory practices. Some Kamis think they are a higher caste among the hill Dalits and thus, exploit and discriminate against Sarkis, Damais, Gaines and Badis. The behaviour of such Dalits isn't any different from that of an upper-caste Brahmin in terms of untouchability. So-called upper castes don't allow Dalits to enter the house and don't accept food from Dalit hands. Similarly, some Kamis and Sarkis don't take cooked food and water touched by Damais; Sarkis and Kamis don't take food and water from each other.
In the Tarai region, some Tatmas think they are of a higher caste than other Tarai Dalits. They do not eat food touched by Chamars, Doms, Mushahars and Halkhors. Even the Chamars and Mushahars discriminate against the Dom community. Doms and Halkhors are untouchables within their own community. Similarly, Valley Dalits, who are also called Newar Dalits and indigenous Dalits, are not exempt from intra-caste hegemony. There is extreme discrimination and untouchability between Chya-mes, Podes, Dhobis, Kusules and Kasais in the Kathmandu Valley.
Dalits human rights defenders, activists and intellectuals chant revolutionary slogan of social harmony. They champion marriages between Dalits and non-Dalits. But it is shameful that they have failed to fight discriminatory practices in their own community. As a consequence, intra-Dalit arranged marriages have not even started. The discrimination takes place in social functions like festivals and marriages, in places of worship and in public places like taps and wells.
The practices of intra-Dalit untouchability and caste-based discrimination are matters of international shame. It is necessary to establish brotherly relations between different Dalit communities. Awareness and education programmes at the grassroots need to be be launched. Extensions of common feast campaigns, promotion of intra-Dalit marriages and encouragement of working together are preventive measures. Furthermore, this inhuman hegemony will continue until the state declares intra-Dalit discrimination a serious crime. Another important step is to maintain workforce diversity for equitable and proportional representation in the development and political spheres.
It is time for Dalits to solve their internal problems. Such initiatives are necessary for the dream of an untouchability-free society. The great mission of Dalits will be aborted and the whole development process hindered if we are not able to free ourselves first. I would like to end with a quotation from Martin Luther King, Jr: "We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers".
Pariyar holds a Masters from Tribhuvan University and has worked for various international organisations, including the UN
rajpariyar2012@gmail.com
source:- the-kathmandu-post
No comments:
Post a Comment