Efforts to Raise Dalit’s Share in Governance

Dr. H. B. Jha, Nepal

It is only around the last quarter of the 20th century that the world started changing its course in favour of the weak, old, women, poor, and downtrodden sections of the society. This wind of change also made its impact in Nepal and accordingly on January 30, 1970, the country endorsed UN Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and implemented it on March 1, 1971. Besides, Nepal also signed United Nations Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1999), Convention on Political Rights of Women (1966), etc. To correct some of the mistakes committed in the past, the Nepalese Constitution (1990) not only treated the Dalits as equals but it also held discrimination on the basis of caste as punishable by law. The welfare of the Dalits turned to be a priority issue, which attracted the attention of the planners, policy makers, government, NGOs, INGOs and the donor agencies.

It was for the first time in the Nepalese history that the democratically elected government in the Ninth Plan (1997-2002) accepted that the downtrodden sections of the society are subject to neglect by the higher caste groups despite their occupational ability, knowledge and skill to raise the country's GDP. Therefore, a number of programmes were initiated in the Ninth Plan to implement the policies aimed at the upliftment of Dalits related to education, health, sanitation, training and capability enhancement, employment, etc. This, inter alia, included the provision of the formation of "Independent Downtrodden and Oppressed Community Council" with the objective of co-ordinating policies and supervising programmes targeted to the Dalits. Of the total members of this organisation, 75 per cent were expected to be elected from district level with tenure of minimum 3 years. It was also envisaged that the district-level committee for the Dalits would be formed in 75 districts. However, this Councils is not yet formed.

The establishment of Upekshit Utpidit Dalitbarg Utthan Bikas Samiti (Committee) 2054 Vikram Sambat (1996-97) under the chairmanship of the Minister of Local Development under the Vikas Ain 2013 was the major step for developing plans and programmes for the upliftment of the Dalit communities by launching activities related to income generation, employment promotion and skill development. for the overall improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the Dalits. Later on, the National Dalit Commission was formed by the Sher Bahadur Deuba government in 2002 as an autonomous body to make policies and monitor activities launched by various organizations for the upliftment of Dalits in Nepal.

In the Tenth Plan, provision was made for initiating more of programmes in education, health and economic sectors for the empowerment of Dalit community (HMG/N, 2059). Focus is given in this Plan for the empowerment of the Dalits by adopting measures related to an increase in Dalit’s access to agriculture technologies and products, launching of food for work programme, conducting training for women’s groups from ultra-poor Dalits, developing small rural industries for Dalits, reservation of minimum 25% of the total participants’ seats for Dalits in rural trainings, provision of scholarships for poor and bright Dalit children, loan assistance to Dalits in seeking jobs abroad, awareness creation for the Dalits in health, sanitation and hygiene sectors, and financial support to Dalits through NGOs for poverty alleviation. Additionally, it is also envisaged that the school curriculum should be redesigned to create awareness in the society to give respectful place to the Dalits in the national and social life (Human Rights in Nepal, 2003).

Recently, a high level government body called Committee to Resolve the Problem of Reservation (CRPR) was formed under the chairmanship of Finance Minister a few months back to provide reservation to 20% of the women, 15% of the Janjatis and 10% Dalits. Sometimes back in his budget speech of 2003-4, the Finance Minister had also promised that income-generating and employment opportunities would be provided to women, Dalits and the oppressed and the people of backward community (HMG/N, 2003).

In order to encourage economically deprived and Dalit communities in foreign employment, the HMG/N under the Government-to-Government Agreement had made an arrangement to give priority in employment opportunities to Dalits in which a provision is made to deduct a fixed portion from the salary of the workers to pay back the employment agency.

To increase the participation of the Dalit students, including the girls, from Dalit and ethnic communities, a policy is adopted to make additional grant to the community schools run on government grant in pursuance of affirmative action. Scholarships are provided to the all the children from Dalit families admitted in primary schools for which an amount of Rs. 81.7 is earmarked. All the colleges and universities depending on the government grant are expected to provide compulsory admission to minimum 20% girls, 10% Dalits and 15% from ethnic communities in each admission session. Even in the matter of scholarship, the government is required to make similar arrangement.

During the third round of talks with the Maoist in August 2003, the government had proposed that reservation for the Dalits could be made in education, health, administration and employment opportunities, apart from the political bodies. It was also proposed that reservation to the extent of 25% could be given to the women in all representative institutions and also in education, health, and administrative structure.

Recommendations:

The problem of the Dalits should be treated as a national problem and not the problem of any specific community. Such problem could be resolved in an integrated manner by focussing on their education, health, income, political participation and other core issues. Massive awareness and advocacy programmes should be launched to sensitize their problems. Pressure groups need to be formed to see that affirmative action is taken and the anti-discriminatory laws are effectively enforced. The leadership development training should be provided to the different groups of the Dalits, particularly to the girls and women. Considering the miserable conditions of the Dalit community, urgent attention needs to be paid by all the stakeholders, including the Government, NGOs, INGOs, donor and multilateral institutions to contribute significantly for the upliftment of this community. The following recommendations have been made to reduce the socio-economic miseries of the Dalits:

Special Programme for the Terai Dalits

Categorization should be made among the Dalits considering their socio-economic status i.e. `Dalits' and `Backward Terai Dalits.'. All possible efforts need to be made by the planners, policy makers, government, NGOs, INGOs and donor agencies to see that special programmes are launched to develop leadership among the Terai Dalits.

Reservation

The government should implement its reservation policy effectively and give due share to the Dalits as per its commitment in education, employment and other sectors. `Dalits’ even among the Dalits should get priority in the reservation.

Skill Development Programmes

The traditional skills of the Dalits in all such fields as making khukuris, utensils, ornaments, agricultural tools, woodcarvings, shoes, basketry items, etc. need to be improved and utilized in the larger interest of the nation for which Technical Training Institute could be established in various parts of the country.

Marketing of Products

Since the Dalits are skilled enough in making khukuris, utensils, ornaments, agricultural tools, woodcarvings, shoes, basketry items, etc. and certain Dalits are even experts in livestock farming, all possible efforts should be made by the concerned agencies to provide them market in some of these products, including the supply of milk.

Integrated Approach for Development

Since the backwardness of the Dalit communities is the outcome of exploitative soico-economic and political structure of the country, it is the primary duty of the State to pump adequate resources for their development in education, health, economic and employment sectors. Legal literacy programmers could be launched in various parts of the country to create awareness among them about their rights and duties. All possible efforts should be directed to bring the Dalits in the national mainstream by giving them due representation in the administrative, political and diplomatic assignments. Care should be taken to see that they get due place in the decision-making process in all these sectors.

Removal of Derogatory Words

 The Government should take immediate action for the enactment of laws and bi-laws as per the letter and spirit of the Constitution of 1990 with a view to eliminating the caste system and to punish those who indulge in caste discrimination in public places and in the utilization of public services. Derogatory words used for the Dalits in the Muluki Ain need to be removed without any further delay.

Involvement of Political Parties

The discrimination against the Dalits might also be reduced if the political parties make it a pre-condition that only those people will be entitled to become their members who oppose discrimination on the basis of caste.

Land to the Landless Dalits

Access to the means of production is importantly associated with both status and empowerment. In the Nepali context, land is the most important means of production. The State should determine the magnitude of landless among the Dalit people and it should also determine the amount of land under its control. The surplus land should be distributed to the landless Dalits.

Governance

The stakeholders should take special measures to correct the imbalance and raise the Dalit participation in the governance both at the national and local levels.

Table: Dalit Population in Nepal

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