Racial Discrimination: "Who dares to complain?"

Dalit rights activists and organizations also pressured for action, saying that even the person in the position of ward head was discriminated against. But in the end, the Ward President Tiruwa did not want to go to the case process. After reaching an agreement at the district police office, Aheb Budha was released on the condition that he would not do so again. Ward president Tiruva told Kantipur, 'It is a matter of abuse, I also withdrew the complaint after apologising.'

This is not the first incident in Sannitriveni where a Dalit representative has been a victim of caste discrimination. Only last July, executive member Bharat Vick was insulted by discriminatory insults in the executive meeting, and he was even beaten. When he raised the issue of irregularity in the village, the people's representatives used discriminatory words and attacked him.

The issue reached the headquarters, but after all-round pressure, the abusers finally apologized, and a settlement was reached. 'Despite continuous efforts for four days, the police refused to accept the complaint, there was pressure from all sides not to file a case,' Bharat told Kantipur, 'in the end a settlement was reached.' Had done . After the incident, Ward President Sarki went to the headquarters with a complaint, but even then the case was settled in a settlement.

Not only in Sannitriveni, the discrimination and untouchability on the basis of caste is rampant in the villages of Kalikot. However, complaints against such discrimination and untouchability are not lodged in the police. Dalits are forced to endure caste discrimination due to geographical hardship, poverty, illiteracy and lack of awareness. Not only the common Dalits, even the elected representatives are not in a position to speak against such discrimination and injustice. If someone dares to speak against the discrimination, and even if they go to the police, the case is settled in a settlement due to many temptations, pressure and influence.

'There has been a decrease in the urge to say 'untouchable' like before . But it is felt that caste discrimination has increased,' says Ramesh Nepali, a Dalit rights activist, 'caste discrimination is being done against the village leaders and ward presidents, not the common people of the Dalit community, but even they have not been able to reach the court with their cases, in such a case, the common Dalit family members of the village are being discriminated against. Who has the courage to complain when there is discrimination?

Kalikot is the same district, where Manvere Sunar and Mana Sarki, a ward member, were brutally beaten to death for touching the stove to light a cigarette. From those two incidents to Sannitriveni Ward Presidents Rangraj Saraki and Narpati Tiruwa, rights activists Nepalese Dalits who have closely observed the case claim that they are still not in a position to confidently speak against the injustice done to them.

'The issue of caste discrimination is governmental. But there is no situation where the victim can reach the court with the case,'' he adds, 'I have been treated unfairly by the ward presidents who came to the district from all sides There is pressure, and in the end they are forced to compromise. After seeing that, ordinary Dalits can't muster the courage to come to the police with a complaint, instead they sit patiently.'

According to the district police office, there is only one case of caste discrimination and untouchability this year, and that too is an incident against the ward president. Gokul Bogti of Pachaljharna Rural Municipality-1 in Ward no. 2 President Karbire Vishwakarma used discriminatory abuse on social media . Threatened by swearing on the telephone as well. Bogti is an office assistant at the local health post.

After being discriminated against by support staff, Ward President Vishwakarma went to Manm headquarters asking for justice. On December 12, a case was registered for the crime of caste discrimination, the police arrested Bogti and prosecuted him. He has been in custody for 19 days and has been released on a bail of 50,000. DSP Arjun KC says, 'When we receive a complaint, we will proceed with the case legally, but now there are not many such complaints.' ; Ward member Mana Sarki was killed on the pretext of touching water in the stream. Even in that incident which resulted in the death of a person, the police took 7 days to file a complaint.''Remembering the past, he says, 'Now the police is more positive than then, but the Dalit community does not have access to the police.' He says that the incident that ended in the settlement gave encouragement to the perpetrators . After the People's War, the persecution of Dalits decreased rapidly across the country. But the discrimination in various forms has become more entrenched, that Dalits are not liked walking around wearing good clothes. Little read, nothing good is not preferred . So much so that even if you wear nice clothes and glasses, they beat you for being too big,'' he said, narrating the incident on Pankh Vick for example. 22-year-old Pankh Vik of Shubhakalika Rural Municipality-7 was beaten up by six youths of the village saying that he was wearing good clothes and glasses while going to the temple of the Dhalpura deity in the village.

"The form of discrimination has changed from before. Before, they used to say that they don't eat what has been touched by Doom," he says, "Now they don't directly say that they don't eat what has been touched by you." Instead, they walk because they don't want to eat. There is successive exclusion and disdain . The discriminatory thinking is still there.'

According to the latest census, the population of Dalits in Karnali is 23 percent. The district with the highest population in Karnali is Kalikot, where 27 percent are Dalits. But in the same proportion, they have neither representation nor participation in development . Dalits do not have enough land. 90 percent of Dalits do not have enough food for more than three months with the food they grow.

'There is no land to grow . 90% of Dalits are not able to grow rice well even for three months," says Haja Sunar, District President of Dalit Mahila Sangh and human rights activist, "Children think it is better to go to India than to go to school hungry. Most of the families of Dalits have moved from there.'

She says that even after federalism, the government has not spent on the development of people. "The government has come to villages, the budget is also fat". But that budget has not been spent on the development of people," she says. "The government does not say that caste discrimination should not be done. The government does not invest in improving the lives of Dalits. If we ask them to give a budget, they reply that these roads, streets and buildings are also for Dalits.

Although the constitution guarantees the representation of a Dalit woman in the ward, he says that in practice the Dalit community has not benefited greatly from it. "Those who can speak are stubborn, they are not given a chance," she says.

She says that even Dalit people's representatives could not play a role in ending caste discrimination and untouchability. Caste discrimination is rampant, I myself sat outside the door asking for the deputy mayor's vote during the election,' she said, recounting her bitter experience, 'Dalit women are forced to suffer discrimination within the state system.' She claimed that because she is not from the Dalit community, the political access of Dalits is weak.

Chief District Officer Ganesh Nepali says that it cannot be said that there is no caste discrimination based on the fact that there are no complaints. He says that discrimination against Dalits in the district has not ended due to geographical difficulty, discomfort and lack of awareness. "There is illiteracy, poverty and scarcity, the lives of the people here are affected by social problems," he said, "and that has also given support to caste discrimination and untouchability."

Mana Sarki, a ward member of Narharinath rural municipality-9 here, was beaten to death on 075 June 17 for touching water in the stream, while Manvere Sunar of Juwitha village was beaten to death on 068 November 24 for touching the stove.