49-year-old Arjun Adhikari, 49-year-old Arjun Adhikari, could not enter his father's house while he was doing his chores at No. 3 Bigau 78, Khajura Rural Municipality-3, Banke. After the family did not allow him to enter the house because of inter-caste marriage, he did the work of a separate father.
For 13 days, none of the relatives and neighbors came to the place where the officer couple Kiriya lived. Arjun's 65-year-old father He passed away on May 27 due to cancer.
8 years ago, Arjun was ostracized by his family and relatives after marrying 48-year-old Shila Vick of the village. After he divorced his first wife, he married Sheila for love.
He says that he and his wife were discriminated against by not allowing the funeral of their father. He said, 'Discrimination on the basis of caste is a legal crime. A crime has been committed on us.'
After marrying Shila, the family did not allow them to enter the house, nor did the social norms. They were despised and ostracized by the family. That is why they have been living apart from their families.
His two brothers lived separately from their father. On the other hand, even their neighbors did not agree to come to wait at night, no one came there except for the relatives.
Shila said that she was very pained to see all this. 'Now I feel like we are not even human. It feels very sad when everyone hates us,' she said, 'We have only family members and neighbors are afraid to speak.' However, Arjun's mother Tej Kumari is supporting her son.
Nepal's constitution prohibits racial untouchability and discrimination. Similarly, in the 'Race Discrimination and Untouchability (Offences and Punishment) Act, 2068' and the corresponding regulations, 2074, there is a provision to treat such actions as an offence.
According to Basant Gautam, a lawyer, if someone does not allow a person to touch the dead body, does not allow him to do kiriya, or prevents him from participating in social activities, then the victim or the related person can file a complaint at the police office .
Similarly, according to the Act, a complaint can be filed at the local level or the National Dalit Commission and if found guilty, can be punished with imprisonment up to 3 years or a fine of up to 1 lakh rupees or both.
'But even though there is a law, those who suffer discrimination do not speak up,' said Nirmala Sunar, President of Dalit Mahila Sangh Banke, 'This is the biggest irony.' There are three levels of government but this is not their concern.'
'This incident in Khajura Rural Municipality shows that the remnants of ethnic untouchability still remain. We have tried a lot in our own way," Ward President Purna Bahadur Bhandari said, "We couldn't give pressure. I was out at the time . But even when we tried later, we couldn't remember .'
