Skip to main content

Beyond symbolic inclusion, Caste based discrimination is the elephant in the room that cant be ignored anymore


Kalu Devi Bishwokarma, Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal parliamentarian from Kailali, on Monday took to the floor to inform the House about her ordeal finding a rental apartment in Kathmandu. The MP lamented that she failed to find a suitable apartment in the Capital for over a month because of the casteist and discriminatory mindset of the landlords she approached. It is jarring that over five decades after caste-based discrimination was criminalised, people from the Dalit community, including elected representatives, continue to suffer from various forms of bigotry and marginalisation.

According to the 2011 census, Dalits comprise 13.13 percent of the total population of Nepal, although this figure is often contested as researchers feel the figure is underreported. The political transition in Nepal after the 1990s, and especially after 2006, brought about many political and social changes, including bringing issues of identity and representation to the fore. However, the Dalits continue to feel excluded from political and social domains. In fact, Dalit representation has been negligible when compared to other marginalised groups such as the Madhesis and the Janajatis. Having had little political agency and tools for self-assertion in the past, when issues of inclusion were raised most vociferously, the Dalit voice got the least hearing in public debates. Being at the bottom of the caste hierarchy and patriarchy, Dalit women are the most discriminated and are often targets for witch-hunts and sexual violence. Members of the Dalit community are routinely denied job opportunities, education and social security, including housing and rental apartments.
Article 40 of the present constitution earmarks certain rights for the historically marginalised Dalits such as providing special provisions for their empowerment and representation. Dalit representation has certainly got some political momentum lately. Every ward now needs to have a Dalit woman representative member, and 13.8 percent of the total seats in Parliament has been allocated for the Dalits according to the Proportional Representation (PR) system. While there are laws in place, constitutional provisions and tokenistic social events such as ‘sahabhoj’, or co-dining, will amount to little as long as caste bias remains in a subterranean form.
Raising a voice against casteism and discrimination not only from institutional but also an individual level is the need of the hour. Robust check and balance mechanisms against discrimination, introducing awareness through school and college textbooks, and taking the politics of representation beyond mere tokenism are some of the ways in which the caste problem can be addressed to some extent. Unless there is a synchronic effort from the existing practices in the constitutional, political and cultural matrix, any substantial change in the deep-rooted forms of discrimination will remain a pipedream.
Published: 06-06-2018 07:46
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

facebook, twitter, google plus

Popular posts from this blog

Class 12 Optional English 11 Sets Past Paper(2078-2081) Solution

 Class 12 Optional English 11 Sets Past Paper Solution   CDC Model Question 2078 Optional English Grade: XII                                 Time: 3 Hours                      Full Marks: 75 Group-A Choose and copy the best answer. (11×1=11) 1.      What is a dead language?                 i.    A language no longer used in everyday life.               ii.    A language that no one speaks any more.            iii.    A language that is learnt solely for ceremonial p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Who was Khaptad Baba? (Biography) by Ganesh B. Dhami

Khaptad Baba Khaptad Swami or Khaptad Baba was an eremite who is reported to one day have come to the Khaptad plateau of western Nepal from Punjab, India during 1940s in his 60s. Yet, some historians argue that h e had come from Pakistan since some of his writings are written in Urdu. Much about the origin and background of Khaptad Swami is shrouded in mystery. Some speculate that he was a medical doctor trained in England. It is rumored that when he was practicing in a hospital, he was astonished by some miracles of life and death phenomenon, like a declared dead person revived, which was almost impossible from the perspective of modern science. He was once, desperately trying to save the life of a child. But minute by minute, the child was going towards the dark cave of the death. He found himself utterly helpless. Then, a hermit came in his town of Jammu-Kashmir with Himalayan herbs and power of Yoga, saved the life of that child. After that incident, he kne...
7 comments
Read more

Abiku(poem) by Wole Soyinka

  Abiku -Wole Soyinka "Abiku" is a poem by Wole Soyinka that explores the Yoruba concept of the abiku, a spirit child who is born repeatedly to the same mother, only to die young and return to the spirit world. The poem is rich in imagery, symbolism, and Yoruba cultural references. Summary of Abiku The poem is narrated by the abiku itself, who speaks with a sense of pride and defiance. It declares that no matter how many sacrifices or rituals are performed, it will continue to return and die again. The abiku describes its familiarity with suffering, hunger, and the pain of its repeated existence. It seems to challenge the efforts of its parents to keep it alive, suggesting that it is beyond human control. Themes in Abiku a.      Fate and Destiny – The abiku is trapped in a cycle of birth and death, suggesting that some things are beyond human influence. b.      The Supernatu...
Post a Comment
Read more