Caste-based discrimination in Nepal - International Dalit Solidarity ...

Caste-based Discrimination in Nepal
Krishna B. Bhattachan, Tej B. Sunar and Yasso Kanti Bhattachan(Gauchan)
Bonded Labour: Caste-based untochability and division of labour, illiteracy,
landlessness, semi-feudal system etc. are responsible for perpetuation of
discriminatory labour practices such as Bista, Balighare, Haliya etc. In Bista
and Balighre practices, each Dalit household has a non-Dalit patron and provide
their labour throughout the year and get rewards in kind once in a year during
harvest. A report prepared by the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice
states, “Such discrimination is intentionally designed to keep alive a system
of debt bondage and free farmlands for cultivation of “upper caste” lands
(Goyal 2005: 11). According to Robertson and Mishra (1997:vi), “Although
there has been no survey of the number of people affected by debt bondage, it
is estimated that they run into hundreds of thousands: men and women who
have mortgaged their working life in lieu of interest on a loan they will never
be able to repay. It is ironic that in many cases the original debt may amount
to no more than the average family in the industrialized world would spend on
a restaurant meal.” Robertson and Mishra (1997:1) states, “The powerful
custom demands that only untouchable castes or low status ethnic groups plough
the land as Haliya.”
An overwhelming majority of Dalits’ socio-economic condition is poor by any
standard. Nepal’s poverty will not be eliminated without eliminating poverty
of Dalits and which inturn would not be eliminated unless caste-based
discrimination is eliminated. Hence, addressing Dalits issues in Poverty
Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) is essentail. As international donors, play key
role in providing technical and financial support in PRSP process, they can play
key role to ensure that Dalit issues are duly addressed in such processes. One
of the key advocacy issues that need to be raised very strongly by the Dalit
Movement and International Advocacy Organizations is the issue of land rights
to landless Dalits.
6. Discrimination in Political Sphere:
This section focuses on participation of Dalits in the political process, rights
and local governance, Dalits’ participation in development and discrimination
against Dalits in politics.. Dalits’ problems would not be possible to be addressed
without Dalits’ participation in political sphere. The available data and
information suggests that Dalits are discriminated in political sphere.
6.1 Participation of Dalits in the Political Process:
The opportunity for political participation was considerably enhanced for all
after the promulgation of the 1990 Constitution. For example, there were 89
Dalit candidates of which 66 were from the political parties, that is 4% of the
23