KTM, August 6,

Dalit NGO Federation (DNF), in association with European Union (EU), and Care Nepal organized a half day national interaction on "Role of Political Parties for Ensuring Proportionate Representation of Dalit Community" on August 6, 2007 in Kathmandu. In the interaction, Arjun Narsingh K.C. from Nepali Congress, Dr. Minendra Rijal from Nepali Congress (Democratic), and Hridayes Tripathi from Sadbhavana Party (Annadi Devi) were the guest speakers from the main political parties. Mr. Ram Lakhan Harijan, Acting President of DNF, presided over the programme throughout.
During the programme, various issues of Dalit community were raised and the interaction were done in the same issues. Mr. Ram Singh Sarki from Jumla, spoke that the Dalits from Karnali zone had sacrificed during 19 days long people's movement-2006. HOWEVER, Mr. Sarki asked the political parties and other concerned to come to Karnali to understand and experience the real problems of Dalits. He also asked why Dalits from Karnali are not represented in national Dalit Commission. Similarly, Nirmala Badi Gupta from Badi community said that there is a tendency of participating Dalit males in the quota of female Dalits. While speaking, she raised several issues including- how to maintain balance in the representation of males and females, how to ensure 33% representation of Dalit women, how to ensure the representation of Dalit women in the elections to the constituent assembly, and on top of it, how to include Badi and Gandharva the most marginalized Dalits. She also added to create an environment to contest between Dalits in the upcoming constituent assembly. She advised to all to go with the issues of inclusion of Dalits and Dalit women and to urge political parties to incorporate these into their manifestos.
On behalf of Gandharva community, Mr. Ganesh Gandhari said that only inclusion is not meaningful, rather it should be proportionate inclusion. He also said that community identification is required for reservation. Central member of Nepali Congress, Arjun Narsingh K.C. spoke that now we are going to making excellent constitution, and in the making process of such constitution, we all Nepali, whoever, may be Dalit, janajati, people from hills, mountains and Terai, differently able people, Madhesi should have equal opportunity to participate. And they all will have a feeling of their own constitution. In this matter, Nepali Congress is fully sensitive and is always committed to ensure proportionate representation of Dalits. If it could not happen so, NC will go further movement, he added. Dr. Minendra Rijal from Nepali Congress (Democratic) admitted the articulations of Arjun Narsingh K.C. and assured that his party is also in this line, and is working accordingly.
In the programme, other speaker Mr. Hridayes Tripathi from Sadbhavana Party (Annadi Devi) as well as Madhesi leader, advised Dalits to seize rights not by begging. He also reminded that nothing was addressed significantly for the issues and concerns of Dalits, Madhesis of Terai, women, disabled and janajati during two times revisions in interim constitution, so that protest and conflict are strongly required for ensuring rights and inclusion of the stakeholders as indicated.
Chakra Man Biswakarma, Bhakta Biswakarma and other representatives including from National Federation of Disabled gave suggestions to political parties in the issues and concerns of their own.