Government Not Serious About Dalit Issues : MP Bk

Kathmandu :Ganesh Bk, a lawmaker from the Nepali Communist Party, has said the government has failed to take the long-term problems facing the Dalit community seriously.

Speaking at a meeting of the House of Representatives, he urged the government to formulate an integrated law to guarantee Dalit rights in line with the spirit of the Constitution and to declare a separate “Decade for Dalit Rights.”

MP Bk emphasized the need to establish a Dalit Development Authority to address the problems faced by the Dalit community. He said Dalit issues should be placed among the government’s priorities and implemented as a flagship program with adequate budget allocation.

Likewise, he urged the government to bring forward a concrete plan, based on national consensus, to resolve the problems of landless Dalits, landless squatters and unorganized settlers in the long term. He said efforts to resolve these issues should ensure the ownership and participation of the communities concerned.

Rehabilitation Still Incomplete Despite Liberation Declarations

MP Bk drew the government’s attention to the fact that rehabilitation work has still not been fully completed despite many years having passed since declarations were made to free Kamaiyas, Kamlaris, Haliyas and Haruwa-Charuwas.

He said the rehabilitation of freed laborers should be completed by 2030 and Nepal should establish itself as a country free from forced labor.

He also urged the government to resolve, through dialogue, the ongoing movement by microfinance victims in Kathmandu.

Objection to International Organizations Being Called Before Parliamentary Committee

MP Bk objected to Amnesty International, the International Commission of Jurists and Human Rights Watch being summoned before a parliamentary committee to provide clarification.

He argued that instead of summoning organizations that have expressed international concern over the independence of Nepal’s judiciary, the government should itself be asked to provide clarification regarding the matter.

He said the fact that those organizations did not appear before the committee had raised questions about the credibility of the parliamentary committee itself.

Questions Raised Over Government Information Mechanism on Sunsari Incident

Referring to the clash between two groups in Sunsari that took a communal turn and resulted in four deaths, Bk accused the government of failing to take initial information and warnings seriously.

He said the tendency to reach temporary agreements rather than resolve underlying problems, declare victims martyrs, provide compensation, promise employment and form investigation commissions without making their reports public has further complicated such issues.

Opposition’s Demand Over Prime Minister’s Statement

MP Bk said opposition parties had been continuously drawing the Speaker’s attention to the matter and urging the prime minister to respond for the past 68 days.

He said opposition parties were demanding that the prime minister appear in Parliament and clarify his statement, or that the controversial remarks be removed from the parliamentary record.

Arguing that the prime minister had continued to disregard the demand, he stressed that the government must take parliamentary norms and democratic practices seriously.