NHRC urges govt to ensure Dalit's rights

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the government to ensure Dalit’s rights to justice and equality.

A press release issued by NHRC Spokesperson Dr Tikaram Bhattarai today on the occasion of 15 years of declaring the country a caste-based discrimination and untouchability-free nation reads that cases of caste-based discrimination and untouchability have not yet decreased in the country in lack of effective implementation of laws.

The government had on June 4, 2006 declared Nepal a caste-based discrimination and untouchability-free nation.

The society has not yet become caste-based discrimination and untouchability free nation even after the 15 years of its announcement.

The NHRC expressed concern over taking inhumane incidents of untouchability and caste-based discrimination, torture and murder and rape due to untouchability, discrimination in education as well as impunity in the country in lack of timely action against those involved in such crime.

The human rights body has appealed to all including the political parties, their sister organisations and people’s representatives to help implement related laws so as to find an end to daily incidences of the caste-based discriminations and untouchability in the society. The government has been urged to make sure the effective enforcement of related laws and aspire for building a just society.

Besides, the NHRC wants the government to make efforts to provide necessary relief and proper health care for the economically, socially, culturally and educationally backward Dalit Community as they are at high risk of bearing the brunt of ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

“The Constitution of Nepal has envisaged an egalitarian and just society by guaranteeing the right of every citizen to live with dignity, the right to justice, the right of Dalits, the right to social justice, the right to equality and the right against untouchability and discrimination,’’ the NRHC said in the statement.

It further added such rights have been guaranteed by the Caste-based Discrimination and Untouchability (Offence and Punishment) Act, 2068 BS (2011, the National Criminal Code, 2074 BS (2017) and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, 1965to which Nepal is a state party.