Nepal is a democratic nation. However, Dalits in Nepal (who are 13.4% of the total population) are still deprived of their basic democratic rights and continue to have restricted access to decision-making processes. A cursory analysis of the available data indicates wide-ranging inter-social group disparities among the Dalit community and other socially dominant groups. The data, for instance, indicates that more than 42% of the Dalits continue to live below the poverty line due to factors of historical discrimination and injustice. Additionally, they lack access to resources and opportunities, including land. Caste is literally absent in the economic, political, and social discourse of the country. It is not only affecting the Dalits but is holding the entire country back. While several constitutional commitments towards empowering the Dalits were promulgated and policy measures put in place, they were largely untenable due to poor implementation. Additionally, the Dalits in Nepal continue to face persistent and inter-generational challenges, which hinder their struggle to achieve equality. That the country is governed by so-called democratic yet authoritarian regimes has further exacerbated the problems of democratic participation: progressive and transformative programs like affirmative action and reservation of political constituencies have only been subverted in recent years. Simultaneously, in the public sphere, Nepal has witnessed a marked increase in hate crimes, speeches, and dehumanizing public rhetoric against the Dalits.
Dalits are the ones who engineered metal works, had designed and developed costumes, orchestrated music, beautified the locality and—what’s not?
The term ‘Dalit’ is derived from the Sanskrit word known as ‘Dalan.’ This refers to a small piece produced after something is being rubbed hard. And, when something is being torn asunder into pieces, it is called Dalan. According to sociological perspectives, Dalan refers to a condition where people are being rubbed so hard that they are torn apart and are excluded from the mainstream. In the same way, Dalits represent a community that had suffered from historical ‘Dalan’ and has been the at the bottom of the socio-cultural hierarchical caste system, especially in South Asia.
Caste System is not only affecting the Dalits, but is holding the entire country back.
Dalits comprise of as higher as 20% share in national population (26.64 million) in Nepal. According to the National Dalit Commission, “Dalit are those communities who, by virtue of atrocities of caste-based discrimination and untouchability, resulted to most backward socially, economically, and politically. They have been deprived of basic social justice, education, access to the religious sites, and a dignified life”. The connotation of the term ‘Dalit’ has now changed dramatically. Dalit now refers to the symbol of revolution and change by many renowned scholars. In the 21st century, the word ‘Dalit’ has been used by scholars like Gopal Guru of the Jawaharlal National University (JNU) for the first time. The term has put for the people who express their aspirations and struggles for the change and revolution.
Dalits have had no recognition for the contribution they had made to the society because of the so-called caste-based system in which Dalits are placed at the bottom. They have been regarded as the ‘servant’ of all above-caste communities. Dalits had a great role to play with their artisan skills in the agrarian society. Dalits are the ones who engineered metal works, had designed and developed costumes, orchestrated music, beautified the locality, and—what’s not? Under the sway of acute social marginalization and inhumane discrimination, Dalit’s great artisan quality has been sabotaged.
