KATHMANDU: The Equity Society Nepal has drawn attention to the demolition of the house of Deepak Marik (Dom) of Aurahi Rural Municipality-5 in Siraha and demanded action against the culprits.

Issuing a press release, Society Chair Bhakta Bishwakarma expressed sorrow over the demolition of the house of Marik, a member of the local Dalit community and demanded action against those people guilty in this offence.
The Society has demanded with the Government of Nepal to strictly implement the Caste Discrimination and Untouchability Offences and Punishment Act, 2068 and other legal provisions and to take strict action against the culprits and give justice to the victims.

The house of Deepak Marik (Dom) has been demolished for the Bishnu Mahayagya (a religious programme) to be started from coming March 30, due to which the victim’s family has now been displaced. According to the victim’s family, the soil of the place where the Marik’s house is located has also been removed and thrown away because they are Dalits,” reads a press release issued today by the Society Chairperson Bishwakarma.

The Society strongly deplores this incident which blatantly reflects caste discrimination, the press release states.
According to media reports, one Bajrangi Baba, who is conducting the Mahayagya, has taken a stand that the mahayagya rituals cannot take place if the Dalit family stays there at the site of the mahayagya, after which Marik’s house was demolished in connivance with local municipality chairman Shivaji Yadav and former ward chair Dilip Yadav.

The incident took place on February 22. Noting that has been 18 years since Nepal was declared a country free of caste discrimination and the practice of untouchability and the Constitution and the laws of Nepal have declared it a punishable offence, the Society believes that such acts of discrimination with the involvement of people’s representatives are a heinous crime, reads the press release.