For Social Justice
PRIME Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand said that the
government is effortful to strictly implement the existing acts and regulations concerning
human rights and social justice and chalk out comprehensive policies and programmes for
the uplift of the dalits, the oppressed communities, in the country. Addresing a function
organised by the Nepal National Depressed Social Welfare Organisation in Kathmandu the
other day. Prime Minister Chand said that it was necessary to provide equal rights and
opportunities for all including Dalits in every sector of the country. The Constitution of
the Kingdom of Nepal-1990 has fully guaranteed equality and equal rights to all citizens
irrespective of caste, creed, colour and sex and has protected them against any kind of
discrimination. Discrimination in any form on the basis of caste, creed, sex, and colour
is a crime. Similarly, Nepal has also expressed its commitment at the international level
to eliminate all forms of discriminations by ratifying several United Nations and other
international instruments relating to human rights. Despite these constitutional and legal
provisions and international commitment concerning equality and human rights, some
perversions and aberrations continue to exist in various forms. The deep-rooted social and
cultural superstitions serve as a stumbling block for completely rooting out these social
and cultural perversions in our country. In many places, dalits are not allowed to
participate in certain social, cultural or religious programmes. Some people belonging to
the so-called lower castes are not allowed even to enter temples and other religious
places. This is not only a discrimination and exploitation but also gross violation of
human rights. Such a shameful practice is a scar on democratic and civilised system, which
must be brought to an end in order to ensure sustainable development in the country.
Against this background, the remarks and commitments of the Prime Minister carry a special
significance towards creating an equitable and just society. Almost half of the country's
total population live below the poverty line and are deprived of minimum basic needs. The
majority of these absolute poor are dalits, who are out of the country's mainstream of
development. Realising this, His Majesty's Government has also brought about several
specific programmes for the improvement of the poor, downtrodden and oppressed sections of
the society. The formation of National Dalit Commission is a step towards bringing the
dalits and socially and economically depressed section of the society into the social,
economic and political mainstream of the country. This is no doubt a lofty goal, which can
attain success only when cooperation was extended from all sectors of the society.
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