PM and Minister stress on ending all social evils including untouchability

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Kathmandu / June 3: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has opined for ending all types of discriminations by implementing the Acts formulated for the same purpose and developing the public cognizance.

Addressing a programme organized on the occasion of the Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination in the capital today, PM Oli stressed on eliminating all kinds of evil practices adding that still there are malpractices of misbehaving the women on the charge of witchery and dowry. The programme was organized by Nepal Utpidit Jatiya Mukti Samaj.

In another note, PM Oli clarified that the reservation quota allocated for indigenous nationalities, dalit, women, Madhesi and minorities were not forever as it was adopted to make them competitive.

He added that the dalit community should be forwarded in education sectors as they were pushed back in economically, socially and culturally for decades.

PM Oli further said that the suppressed communities had the equal participation in different structures of the state including constituent assembly due to the various struggles made by them during different steps of nation building.

Similarly, CPN (UML) standing committee member Chhabi Lal Bishwakarma urged all to help constitution implementation process as it has ensured the rights of all communities.

Mukti Samaj chair and lawmaker Jitu Gautam stressed on ending the discrimination made in the name of untouchability.

Meanwhile addressing a mass meeting and cultural programme organised by the Joint Dalit Struggle Committee Dhading on the occasion of National Day for the Elimination of Caste-based Discrimination and Untouchability, Minister for Information and Communications Sherdhan Rai has said the government formed after the promulgation of the new constitution in the country was committed to ensuring dalits’ rights by ending all sorts of discrimination including untouchability against them.

Minister and government Spokesperson Rai insisted on the effective enforcement of ‘Caste-Based Discrimination and Untouchability (offence and punishment) Act- 2011 and directed the authorities concerned to bring anyone found violating the act to book.

Refuting the rumours of the government change outright, he claimed that the incumbent government would continue until the elections of the local poll and legislature-parliament election were held.

Nepali Congress central leader and lawmaker Min Bahadur Bishwakarma and lawmaker Guru Prasad Burlakoti spoke of the need of all-side support to end all sorts of caste-based discriminations against dalits.

Similarly, Minister for Home Affairs Shakti Bahadur Basnet has said the government was serious towards ending the practice of caste-based discrimination including untouchability against dalits.

In his address to an interaction on “caste-based discriminations and untouchability elimination day-2073”, hosted by the National Dalit Commission and Dalit Civil Society here Friday, the Home Minister said the practice of caste-based discrimination including untouchability that remains as the social taboo in this 21st century needs to be wiped out.

Stating that legislature, government and dalits themselves be active to end all sorts of caste-based discriminations prevalent in the society, he called on the dalits to get ready to go for a legal battle to get their rights addressed.

Country’s constitution has guaranteed rights of dalits to a greater extent and its institutionalisation was the first need of the hour, he said.

Dalit Commission Chairman Man Bahadur Nepali said the social status of dalits is improving slowly; the government should come up with additional programmes for their empowerment on every front.

On the occasion, Minister Basnet launched a book on ‘dalits’ rights in the constitution’. RSS