Dalits‚ govt strike deal; House resumes
State to provide Rs 10 lakh to Manbire Sunar's kin
Added At: 2011-12-29 11:50 PM
HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE
KATHMANDU: Parliament resumed today after Peace and Reconstruction
Minister Satya Pahadi and Joint Political Dalit Struggle Committee,
comprising eight Dalit organisations as well as Dalit Lawmakers'
Forum, reached a five-point agreement and Prime Minister Baburam
Bhattarai addressed the House, expressing government's commitment to
end social discrimination against the Dalit communities.
The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction
in the presence of Prime Minister Bhattarai.
Addressing today's House session, PM Bhattarai said Manbire Sunar's
murder by the so-called upper caste people in Kalikot's Jubitha VDC
has ashamed the humankind in the 21st century.
He said the murder took place at a time when Parliament had already
passed law on Ethnic Discrimination and Untouchability (Crime and
Punishment), 2068. He also appealed to all political parties,
lawmakers, civil society and the media to play their respective roles
in curbing such crimes taking place on the basis of casteism.
As per the five-point agreement, the government would take strong
legal action against those involved in Sunar's murder. Manbire Sunar
was beaten to death after he reportedly went to a kitchen of a
so-called upper caste family to light his cigarette on December 10.
The government will provide Rs 1 million as compensation to Sunar's
kin, and his children will be provided with scholarships for their
higher education, according to the agreement.
As far as declaring the deceased a martyr in concerned, as demanded by
the Dalit organisations, the deal stated that initiative would be
taken after a report, which is being prepared by a government-formed
taskforce, is handed to the government.
The government and the Dalit organisations have also agreed that a
central direction committee would be formed under the coordination of
a secretary at the Council of Ministers, a central advisory committee
would be formed comprising people engaged in the Dalit movement, and
similar district and local-level bodies will be formed to implement
the law.
Following the agreement, the Dalit organisations have called off all
their planned agitations.
------------------------------------
----
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