Monday, March 8, 2010

[ZESTCaste] Dalit weds Shrestha girl, faces ostracism

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Dalit+weds+Shrestha+girl%2C+faces+ostracism+&NewsID=231731

Dalit weds Shrestha girl, faces ostracism
Last Updated : 2010-03-07 1:04 PM
The Himalayan Times - Saved Articles(s)


Kesav Adhikari

DHADING: People marrying outside their caste are being ostracised by
their family and wider society although the government has introduced
a bounty for encouraging it.

One of the most glaring examples of this social malady is prevalent in
parts of Dhading district. Consider this: a Dalit family in Damgade
Sangkosh-3 of the district has been deprived of fetching drinking
water from the public tap in the village as a punishment for marrying
an upper caste.

It all happened that Krishna Ramtel of Damgade Sangkosh-3, a Dalit,
married an upper caste Shrestha. But the bride family wanted to punish
him.

One of the strategies they adopted to

punish him and his family members were restricting them from fetching
water from the public tap.

Ramtel had married Parbati Shrestha last December. The couple has been
living in Kathmandu, though.

Shrestha's family

severed the pipeline supplying water to most Dalit households, according to the

victims'.

Shrestha's family, however, refuted the allegations and maintained
that their neighbours have been trying to defame them.

According to the victims, after the drinking water supply was
obstructed, they are compelled to fetch water from another village.
The victims have lodged a complaint with the local rights activists
and police administration.

They also blamed authorities for not cooperating with them, however.

Meanwhile, Shyam Bahadur Mangrati, chairman, Dalit Service Union, said
that depriving Dalits from drinking water over marital dispute was
unlawful and gross violation of human rights.

"We shall make all possible efforts to dispense justice to the
victims," he added.

The government in this fiscal has announced financial incentives for
inter-caste marriages, though.


------------------------------------

----
INFORMATION OVERLOAD?
Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to ZESTMedia-digest@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/

PARTICIPATE:-
On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com

TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:-
If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to ZESTCaste-subscribe@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/

Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
ZESTCaste-digest@yahoogroups.com
ZESTCaste-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ZESTCaste-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

No comments:

Post a Comment