Thursday, September 23, 2010

[ZESTCaste] Nepal: Dalits Bar Doms From Using Water

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/printable_news.php?news_id=23593

Dalits Bar Doms From Using Water

HARIHARPUR, Sept 23: Local Dalits have barred a Dom family of
Hariharpur from fetching water from the only well in the area for not
being a Hindu.

A year-and-a-half ago Birendra Mallik´s (Dom) lost his father
Baleshwor, 40, after he drank water from a paddy field as he was not
allowed to drink water from the well. Rekha Mallik, the deceased´s
daughter-in-law vividly remembers the incident, "all of us had gone to
a relative´s marriage.

While returning, my father-in-law asked for water, but I wasn´t
allowed to fetch water from the well. Finally I got some water from
the paddy filed and gave him. That very water cost his life," A few
months after the incident, Baleshwar´s brother, Sankar too lost his
life for a similar reason.

"We´ve been fetching water from another locality for daily usage,"
Rekha said, adding, "Four months ago, we had gone India to attend our
sister´s marriage. When we returned home after 16 days, I went to
around half-a-dozen homes asking for some water. However, no one had
pity. Finally, we drank water stored 16 days ago from a pitcher and
spent the night."

Twenty kilometer north of the district headquarters, almost 50
families from Musahar, Mandal, Mahara, Muslim and other communities
drink water from the same well. However, the Dom family has been
barred from fetching water from the well. "Filling water is
far-fetched. Even if a small child touches the well while playing,
they come to loot our home," Rekha said.

Since the Dom community isn´t Hindu, we won´t allow them to fetch
water, Suraji Sada (Musar), a local said. Other locals too said that
as long as their leader doesn´t permit the Dom family to fetch water,
they wouldn´t allow either. Local Administration and Police, however,
are still unaware of the problem.

Dr Kamleshwar Sinha, Chief District Officer ,said that if there are
such problems, it should be solved.


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

----
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

Blog Archive