BIRU NEPALI, – BUTWAL: Lumbini Provincial Assembly members have expressed commitment to end caste-based discrimination and untouchability rampant in the province.
The members of the provincial assembly expressed their commitment at an interaction organised by Jagaran Media Centre on October 28.
Addressing the function member of the Constituent Assembly Binod Pahadi pointed out that the political parties have failed to institutionalize the social changes and therefore now the members of the Dalit communities cannot even win at the ward committees which shows that the society has backtracked.
Also the leader of the Dalit rights Pahadi suggested the members of the provincial assembly to come up with resolution proposal to end the untouchability in the province.
Whip of Nepali Congress Nirmala Chhetri said every citizen should begin a campaign from their own home and their kitchen since the issues of Dalit is country’s problem.
She said media should prioritize the issues of Dalit and other marginalized groups when they were raised in the provincial assembly.
Another member of the provincial assembly Jalpa Bhusal said all the communities of the society should focus to end untouchability not only members of the assembly.
Kamala Bishworkarma, member of the provincial assembly, said Dalit community was forced to act as opposition whichever party leads the government.
“Why do we need to revolt whoever leads the government? UML, Maoist, Congress all have reached to the government,” Bishwokarma asked. “Why didn’t the thinking of the parties change? Changes didn’t institutionalize.”
She said other members of the provincial assembly do not speak when there is any incident related to Dalit community. “Not based on the crime, people speak on the basis of whose person s/he was,” she said.
Another member of the assembly Pushpa Chaudhary opined that social discrimination could not end and therefore it was people’s representatives who need to bring change.
During the function Member of the Tilottama Municipality executive member HB Ramtel said political parties could not manage the political changes in the country.
Chairperson of the Jagaran Media Centre Kamala Bishwokarma, who is also a member of the Constituent Assembly, chaired the function conducted by Ambika Pariyar.
The interaction was a part of Centre’s regular discussion series with the members of the provincial assemblies on caste-based discrimination and untouchability and has been lobbying for drafting necessary laws to end such discriminations from the society.
