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Nepal is famous not only as the Himalayan Shangri-La but also as a country with distinct tangible and intangible heritages. Within a relatively small terrain, Nepali communities have preserved these heritages for centuries despite adversities. 

For example, the Damai community has been preserving its musical heritage for ages—without getting the respect it deserves.

Historians believe that the word ‘Damai’ comes from the musical instrument called ‘Damaha’ (a large drum). This musical instrument is made using refined leather and molded by a copper or brass strip into an oval shape. Music is produced through this instrument by beating on its either side with a pair of sticks called gaja. The primary role of a Damai is to play Damaha and other musical instruments like the Sanai for the society on social occasions like weddings.  

In many remote villages of Nepal, people from this community have been performing for the society at homes and temples for extremely low returns, for ages.

Anthropologist Carol Tingey says, “The Damais occupy a unique place within this immense cultural diversity. They are thought to be an auspicious caste in Nepal who are professional musicians while their supplementary caste occupation is tailoring.” 

The cateist mentality prevalent in the society has sidelined this important role of the community, raising a wall between the ‘Dalits’ and ‘non-Dalits’ by undermining their devotion, emotion and contributions and their musical heritage.

This, despite the fact that the Damai musical heritage constitutes the very soul of the Khas culture in Nepal where Damai Baja (musical instruments) are compulsory in every cultural and religious rite or ritual of the Khas community. So much so that puja (obeisance) offered to divinities at their abodes is considered incomplete and in vain without their music.

On different sociocultural and religious occasions, the traditional musicians from this community play three different types of music—the Mangal Dhun, Ramkali Dhun and Malshree Dhun. Their music forms an inalienable part of marriage, Vratavandha (sacred thread ceremony) and other sacred rituals. In Karnali and Far-West regions, their music is essential for invoking Devata (the deities) in fairs, something that points toward the richness, beauty and importance of Damai music in our society.

Delving into their musical heritage, Panche Baja and Naumati Baja—two sets of musical instruments, comprising five and nine instruments—come to mind. Panche Baja consists of Damaha, Tyamko, Jhyali, Sanai and Dholaki whereas Naumati Baja is an ensemble of Panche Baja along with Karnaal/Narsinga and a pair of Damaha and Sanai. According to scholar Ramsaran Darnal, “Panche Baja used to be taken as a symbol of luck and fortune before the Vedic era. In Nepal’s temples, Nagara and other musical components of Panche Baja are played during puja. Due to this religious aspect, the Panche Baja is known as Dev Baja (God’s Band)”.

But the ‘caste system’ has ruined the divinity of this musical heritage, including Panche Baja and Naumati Baja, and its importance in society. Foreign scholars have done their PhD in Damaha, Panche Baja and Naumati Baja while we the Nepalis have failed to study our own musical heritage and realize its importance, thanks to this evil system.

Music is a boon for the whole of humanity, it is something that transcends religions, languages and territories. But in our society, music also signifies a particular community. For instance, we take the Dhime Baja as a heritage of the Newars, associate Dhamphu-Tunguna with the Tamangs and Damaha-Sanai with the Damais. Our ethnocentric thoughts contradict with universal values of music, making us incapable of embracing all these heritages as Nepali music and prompting coming generations to disrespect this heritage of ours. For instance, we do not see parents buying a Damaha for their children nor do we see a child playing the Sanai. Thanks to our mindset, youngsters are playing Western musical instruments like the guitar, drum set and the piano instead of native musical instruments.

Music has that healing effect: it gives humanity immense pleasure, helping it forget pain and sorrow. But for musicians from Dalit communities like Damai and Gandharva, music ends up inflicting torture to a people as it comes with a ‘tag’ and a stereotyped identity. In many villages, Damai musicians have to sit at the corner of the host’s house as the ‘tradition’ forbids them from going inside and eating with others. Even the so-called ‘high-caste’ people dance to the tune of Damai musicians, but they do not bother to show respect to the latter. All that these gifted musicians get as rewards are life-long wounds, disrespect, discrimination and disgust.

Our musical heritage particularly carries casteist flavor and vibes. The so-called non-Dalits give the tags of ‘touchable’ and ‘untouchable’ on the basis of music people play. The Damai and the Gandarva communities of our country are classed among the ‘untouchables’. The sole reason is the profession they hold—the musical instruments they play. Though the scenario has slightly changed, the casteist mentality has not changed much. 

For public consumption, people say, “We all are equal; there is no discrimination at all.” 

But the truth is different. News reports on caste-based discrimination and its consequences feature almost on a daily basis. 

Murder, physical torture, social boycott, segregation, extortion and other forms of punishment against the Dalits are going on unchecked even in an era where an increasing number of Nepali people are getting academic degrees from prestigious universities like the Oxford and TU. 

National development becomes possible with factors like cooperation, equality and social emancipation even when there’s a lack of cultural and natural resources.

Though the Constitution of Nepal has provisions against caste-based discrimination, the old, stereotyped caste system still prevails, ruining Nepal’s cultural and musical heritage, and destroying the beauty of our ethnic diversity. If we do not take caste-based discrimination seriously, this evil will fragment our society into various pieces like in Rwanda.

Every year, the academic results of SEE/SLC, graduate and postgraduate studies bring a momentous problem for the state as a significant percentage of students fail the exams.

While around 50 percent of students fail SEE exams every year, university exams also do not yield satisfactory results, indicating that there are holes in our education system that need fixing.

Stakeholders are well aware of some of the reasons behind poor results at school and university levels—political interference, poor management, infrastructure, pedagogy, etc—and they can give hours-long lectures on these reasons.

Apart from visible issues, there are other issues also behind poor results. One of the most important factors behind a poor result at the individual level is the “lack of interest” on the part of the student in studies. 

On the contrary, if the student devotes time in studies, chances of him/her getting good results are quite high.

Our education system and society give high priority to education and for them, getting an academic degree is very important regardless of the individual’s interest (or lack thereof) in the endeavor. 

This mindset of the society and the state, which undermines the lack of individuals’ interest in studies, is mainly to blame for poor results year after year after year. 

This mindset ignores the fact that the individual interested in his/her chosen field, whether it’s education or some other sector, will surely put in extra efforts to get the best result. 

It’s a given that someone who wants to be an ace sportsperson will give it all to his/her chosen sport instead of burning the midnight oil for an academic degree. 

For example. football is life’s true calling for Ronaldo. Imagine what will happen if he is not allowed to play football. 

But this does not mean that getting an education is not important. Even those individuals who have no interest in studies would do well to get an education, a state-prescribed education at least, given the importance of education in this day and age. After completing basic education (my opinion is that it should be made mandatory), the individuals can follow their passion and make their dreams come true. 

The main premise of this writeup is based on my observation of students’ behavior in the Kathmandu Valley. Early in the morning, I see myriad students donning uniforms heading to their respective educational institutions. On the surface, it seems they all are marching with the same purpose but their body language reveals otherwise. 

It is not difficult to observe that each student has their own sets of dreams, desires and aspirations; even those with basic knowledge of psychology can read this much.

Some of these students look fresh and energetic, indicating that they want to study and do something significant in academia. 

Some others, through gestures and facial expressions, give the impression that they have no desire to study, that their hearts lie in other fields like music and sports.

They are physically present in the classroom, not mentally. They are taking classes because their parents want them to study at all costs, even at the expense of their chosen fields.

This is a sheer waste of time and resources, and this lack of interest in studies is one of the major reasons behind poor academic results.

As part of this study, I even asked some students “How do you feel while going to school?”

Their responses matched with my reading of their body language.

Parents, teachers and the government are focusing only on imparting education by taking it as the only means to get success in life, ignoring the dreams, aspirations and aptitude of the individuals concerned. On their part, these students are trying to make their parents happy by obeying them physically, though their hearts lie elsewhere.

Given this context, parents, teachers and state authorities should encourage students to pursue their dreams instead of forcing their will onto them. This way, our society will, in all likelihood, get Ronaldo, Mahabir Pun and many other wonders. 

A few months ago, I had a meeting with one of my friends doing a PhD in America. He said that in the US, most of the education institutions have a student debate club. Once a week, students discuss various issues with a critical lens. Mainly, the students of the social science stream create discourse on burning issues in society. For instance, racial discrimination is one of the major problems in American society. White people have historically discriminated against black people. 

Similarly, the diaspora living in the US is also facing problems regarding socio-political aspects. In such   burning issues and problems, students present papers, debate with critical thinking, creative thinking, literary theories like White Man’s Burden, race theory, postcolonial studies, race discrimination, gender discrimination, LGBTIQA+ rights, etc. Beside this, there is no hard-and-fast rule for participation. It is like a loose forum where interested parties can discuss and give their opinions.

The culture of these critical discourses has changed  the level of students’ understanding as well as upgraded them critically. Recently ,the students are seeing issues from multiple perspectives. In fact, they are lamenting the racist history where an individual is oppressed just because of a certain race or color. During the discussion, students questioned themselves about human rationality. Even they themselves criticized the irrationality of their ancestors. But sadly, the educational institutions of Nepal have almost failed to create such discourse.

Last time I got an opportunity to attend a debate program on ‘caste system struggle or compulsion’ organized by progressive students of RR Campus . It is a nice gesture, at least  it shows some avenues of change for students. But the opinion of some participants is so casteist. They are students holding a degree in hand. They have seen the fragmentation of society by caste. Still they are proud of the caste and they want to continue it as their parents. In addition they also give irrelevant logic to support the caste system. These are some representative voices only.  Our universities are filled With these sorts of casteist minds.

These practices and understanding of students  that our students and universities are almost unknown about Dalits problems. Meanwhile, the caste system is the major headache in society. Around 13 percent of the population is facing problems because of caste. Each day, Dalits are being victimized by the caste system. Mainly in temples, taps, relationships, etc., dalits are tortured.

In such a society, why are students and educational institutions not showing the same interest as in American universities? In Nepal, state-owned educational institutions seem to be politically trained. The wall painting on college premises and hanging political flags on the gate proved it. The student union is very active in political matters. They obeyed political  leaders, and t designed programmes according to the road map of parties. The rallies, protests, cleaning, blood donation, etc. programmes are the major work of the students union. Unfortunately, social issues like caste discrimination seem to be unknown to students.

Caste is the burning and bursting issue of the Hindu Varna system. Especially in Nepal, each day people belonging to the Dalit community are facing inhumane behavior from so-called on-Dalits. Contrary to this, the mainstream of Nepali society regards caste as a cultural phenomenon. They don’t see any fault in the caste system. Even they argued that caste discrimination will not be removed immediately from society. It takes time, and Dalits have to tolerate it to maintain harmony in society. These hypocritic thoughts of non-Dalits have been protecting the caste system as their tradition and culture for ages. Meanwhile, the constitution of Nepal has strictly prohibited any sort of discrimination that is punishable. The Articles 17, 18, 24 43 and 40 of the Constitution clearly advocate for human rights and freedom.

On the other side, including students, non-Dalits act as if nothing is happening in society regarding caste issues. However, some progressive students’ efforts can’t be denied. Still, they stand with Dalit issues. But the majority belongs to a hypocritically stereotyped group. In fact, the hypocrisy of non-Daltis is violating the law of a state. Which result in torture, murder, social trauma for Dalits. By seeing this scenario, the non-Dalit faction is digging a pit for its own people and system. Therefore, to change such inhuman practices, the students and educational institutions of the state have to take a leading role in developing equity and equality in society. In fact, most educational institutions have huge numbers of non-Dalit students. 

Knowing and seeing such situations in society, educational institutions and their students can’t remain neutral. They must react critically and creatively, as in the Western world. After knowing our educational institutional roles on social issues like caste, one might raise questions. Why are our students remaining silent on the caste system? The obvious answer is that our students are also guided by the Manu Simiriti caste system, and most of them, both teachers and students, are non-Dalits. That’s why they remain silent. But while saying this, how can we deny the magnanimity of students? How can we avoid the Western students' activism on race and color?

Aside from all the lapses, Students should self-criticize themselves and take these mistakes as lessons to rebuild their progressive image for the overall development of society. In fact, by nature, students are progressive. So they should play a vital role in resolving the problem. In addition, students and educational institutions are known for hope, progress, and the future of the state. Therefore, the law, social norms, and values also asked the student to take responsibility for creating a forum for unity against the inhuman system and caste system. In the US, when George Floyd, a black man, was killed, the entire nation came out in protest against racism. Students actively participate in rallies. This shows the maturity of American society regarding racism. Though racism still exists in society, at the same time, voices are being raised and hands are joining to fight against inhumanity.

Thus, Nepali educational institutions and students need to be strong to counter such a heinous system. The Curriculum Department Center (CDC) should include chapters on the caste system. This way, the students will know the dark sides of the caste system. After studying such ill practices, students will organize discourses. They will be aware that their family society does not practice the caste system. Then only will society transform from stereotypes to progressives. Otherwise, the literate actors will be involved in drama, and society will remain irrational forever.

The verdict delivered by the Rukum West District Court in the Navaraj BK murder case has rekindled public faith in the judiciary. The esteemed court handed down life sentences to 24 individuals involved in the lynching of six youths, including Navaraj BK, in Chaurjahari Municipality-8, Rukum West three years ago.

Why were Navaraj and his friends killed?

The root cause of this tragic incident was caste, as confirmed by the district court’s verdict. Navaraj, a young man from Ranagaon in Bheri Municipality-4 of Jajarkot, was in a relationship with a non-Dalit Malla girl from Rukum West. Both were happy in their relationship and wanted to get married.

 On May 23, 2020, Navaraj and his friends reached the girl’s village in Soti to escort her to his home for the marriage ceremony. Despite the shared happiness of the involved couples and their desire for marriage, the caste divide shattered their dreams. 

A mob from the non-Dalit community in Soti village violently attacked Navaraj and his friends, resulting in six deaths and injuring 12 others. The bodies were discovered along the banks of the Bheri River after a long search. Along with Navaraj, his friends Sandeep Bishwakarma, Tikaram Sunar, Ganesh Budha, Lokendra Sunar and Govinda Shahi were killed in the incident.

Caste discrimination remains a pressing issue in Nepal, with Dalits enduring centuries of oppression and violence solely based on their caste. Navaraj’s case is just a representative case. Sayte Damai of Dailekh was murdered by non-Dalit people just because he married a non-Dalit girl. There are many such incidents of discrimination against Dalits. Many reports of INGOs, NGOs and even government offices show Dalits face discrimination in various aspects of life, including access to public spaces, places of worship, and relationships.

 A few Dalits muster the courage to pursue legal action in cases of caste discrimination, while the majority remain unheard and suppressed. Local leaders and influential figures often try to settle caste discrimination cases locally.

 Non-Dalits caution victims against speaking out, creating an environment of intimidation. Instead of aiding the marginalized majority, whether educated or not, there is a tendency to threaten those who attempt to raise their voice against discrimination. In such a challenging context and prevailing social norms, how can a Dalit hope to attain justice in a case of caste discrimination?

The caste system has persistently denied justice to Dalits throughout history, manifesting in loss of life, property, and enduring inhumane treatment. Despite constitutional provisions such as Articles 17, 18, 24, and 40 explicitly advocating for equality, human rights, and freedom, the prevalence of caste conflicts persists among non-Dalits who disregard these laws.

While there are ongoing caste discrimination cases in the courts, Dalits rarely find justice in such matters. Deepa Nepali’s case in Kailali, where she faced eviction from a rented room based on her caste, exemplifies the challenges encountered by those seeking legal redress. Despite initial threats, Deepa, a university student, courageously pursued legal action. Unfortunately, the verdicts from the Kathmandu District Court and Patan High Court were not in her favor. There are many examples of systemic challenges faced by Dalits in securing justice.

Landmark verdict

The history of Dalit justice has not been favorable, with the caste system often overshadowing legal proceedings. In this instance, however, the Rukum West District Court has demonstrated a commitment to breaking this pattern. This landmark verdict is not only a victory for the grieving families of the victims but also a triumph for the entire Dalit community. This groundbreaking decision sets a legal precedent that may pave the way for justice in future caste-related cases. The court's acknowledgment of the caste-based motivations behind the violence sends a powerful message that justice can prevail even in the face of deeply entrenched discrimination.

The caste system, inherently discriminatory and illegal, stands against the principles of humanity and the law. It perpetuates division, imposing arbitrary rules and restrictions. It is imperative for Nepali society to reconsider its stance on this inhumane system. Without a collective effort to eradicate caste-based discrimination, incidents like the Rukum massacre may continue to plague our society. Authorities, civil society, and the public must unite to eliminate this systemic injustice from our midst.

Europe is regarded as the most literate, civilized, and developed continent in the universe. Sadly, this narrative is getting weaker, thanks to recent instances of inhuman behavior on the part of some Europeans, to say the least. Recently, the white supporters of Valencia racially abused the famous footballer, Vini Jr, by chanting monkey slogans against him. This is not the first time the footballer has faced racial discrimination on the pitch. Time and time again, Europe is showing hatred toward black players. Mario Balletoli, Samuel Eto, Drogba, and even Mollato players like Danie Alves have been the victims of racial discrimination in different European leagues. Why are the Europeans or the whites abusing black players? Is the ghost of racial superiority still haunting the whites? Quite long ago, Rudyard Kipling wrote the poem titled ‘White Man’s Burden’. Kipling, through his poem, has glorified the magnanimity of white skin. The poet’s sole motive was to show the whole world that the whites were born to civilize the non-whites. The whites also assumed that people outside Europe were barbaric, savage, irrational, and uncivilized. They have even designed fake narratives about the color ‘black’ and Africa. From the colonial era to date, the same racist mindset is at work, on the football stadium and beyond. Like White Man’s Burden, Brahmanism in South Asia has debased cultural practices that divide people into different castes and sub-castes. The castes determine the cultural and social values of people. For instance, people born into thread-wearing castes (high castes) get certain privileges, whereas the lower castes or the Sudras (Untouchables) have to face caste-based discrimination throughout their lives. People have even lost lives or faced torture over caste matters.  Few years ago in Nepal, some ‘high-caste’ people killed Navaraj BK along with his five friends in west Rukum for BK’s attempt to marry a ‘high-caste’ girl. This caste superiority of the Hindus has started its journeys abroad. In particular, the Hindus of Nepal and India are showing casteist colors in Europe, America, and Australia by following in the footsteps of their ancestors’ ‘ill-conceived’ Brahmanism, which states that only the thread-wearing (Thagadhari) caste is rational and pure whereas other castes, especially the Sudars, are ‘impure and irrational’. The Dalits based abroad are finding it hard to get into relationships, get rooms, land jobs and attend social gatherings, mainly due to a casteist system and Brahmanism prevailing in Nepali and Indian diasporas. In its 2016 survey report, Equality Lab, a US-based NGO, stated that at least one in four Dalits in the USA has faced verbal or physical assault, and two out of every three said they have faced discrimination at work. A case in point: In early 2020, Prem Pariyar was almost at a breaking point over targeted harassment, discrimination, and exclusion by the dominant caste group’s students at his alma mater, the California State University in East Bay, the United States (Al-jazeera). Increasing cases of caste-based discrimination abroad show that the so-called Hindu high castes are taking caste supremacy with them out of the Indian subcontinent. This is a matter of serious concern for Dalit communities and people working for Dalits rights. Aware of the tendencies of the ‘high castes, the Seattle City Council recently passed laws against discrimination, becoming the first US city to ban caste discrimination and the first in the world to pass such a law outside South Asia. Both the White Man's burden and Brahmanism stand for superiority of certain races. The international civil society should work to prohibit these kinds of racist and discriminatory thoughts as part of global efforts to end discrimination of all sorts.

What is beauty? Who is beautiful? The answers will vary; they will be full of abstractions and absurdities. Above all, it sounds bizarre to ask such self-centered questions in this mundane world where figure, shape, and size define beauty. Mainly, today's materialistic people run after cosmetic beauty, exhibited through pageants. The whole world has been seeing a rise in the number of beauty pageants, with many such contests happening in a small country like Nepal as well. The world seems to be enjoying this cosmetic culture of which beauty contests form a part. The number of participants, organizers and titles on offer is increasing day by day, pointing at a growing popularity of such contests. The appreciation of beauty goes a long way back. Per scriptures, Heaven or Indra Lok (the kingdom of Indra) is where such contests used to take place with the angels competing to win the hearts of Indra and his men. The holy books describe Indra Lok as the world of angels and righteous souls. Therefore, people living on Earth desire to lead their posthumous lives there. In contests at his kingdom, Indra would select the angels for the awards on the basis of criteria like their dancing skills, walking and other artistic skills, providing gems and jewelry to the best performers. These books point at Indra’s fondness for angels. In fact, heaven is all about angels and beauty, displayed through the angels’ dances and other artistic skills. Today’s beauty contests resemble Indra’s assembly or Indra Sabha, where Indra and his near and dear ones, seated comfortably on the front-row, watch the performance of an angel (Pari). The assembly is no different from a modern-day beauty pageant, where the organizers and the judges, presiding over the show, select the top contestants. The sole purpose of these modern beauty shows is to entertain the guests and the judges like in the Indra Sabha. The contestants have to win the judges' hearts whether it’s in Indra Lok or in modern pageants. Dance skills, ramp walk, speech delivery and vital stats matter the most in both fora. In Indra's realm, the angels were said to be very attractive. They would dance, act, and show other artistic skills to win awards from Indra, including precious gems and jewelry. Modern beauty shows are no different, with the participants compared with the angels of heaven. Like in Indra Sabha, winners get jewelry and cash as awards. Most of the beauty contests are city-centric and held at star hotels, where a majority of judges and the audience are men, as in Indra Lok. Liquor, beauty, and boldness are the glittering elements of such shows. Despite a dominant presence of men in the jury, most of the pageants are for girls. These men watch the shows as if they were the Indra of modern times. Their body language, gestures and the way they ask questions to the contestants show that they consider themselves no less than Indra himself, while the contestants present themselves as if they were some angels. The organizers act as if they have established a new trend in the beauty world, though they actually are following in the footsteps of Indra, knowingly or unknowingly. Going beyond the glitter, it’s not difficult to find several flaws in such programs. The contestant must have a fair complexion, toned figure, and good height to participate in a beauty contest, which makes it clear that appearance is what matters the most. A few years ago, one of the judges of Miss Nepal, Rashmi Gurung Sharma, came down heavily on the contestant for not applying makeup. Also notable is the fact that Nikita Chandak and Sugarika KC face lots of criticism for their complexions, pointing at a shallow notion of beauty. In our context, the organizers set the criteria for beauty. There are certain eligibility criteria for participation in a beauty contest. How can a judge do justice to a contestant merely by going after her appearance? Most importantly, who gives you the authority to judge on the basis of tone and figure and reject chubbiness? In fact, this is the biggest flaw of these so-called beauty pageants. The judges would do well to remember that different communities have different notions of beauty. Actually, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. For instance, Karishma, Rekha and Namrata might be called the most beautiful women in Nepal, but different notions of beauty apply in Africa, where thick lips and a dark complexion are among the symbols of beauty. So, it's vain to tag somebody as beautiful. The physical appearance—height, weight, smile—can be no measure of beauty or caliber. These features do not form a sound basis for judgment. Rather, they are manmade and subjective elements that should be done away with. There are many examples to prove that physical appearance does not matter much. Socrates was not handsome, Stephen Hawking and Jhamak Ghimire cannot be called good-looking, going by the strict criteria of beauty contests. But their contribution to their respective fields is immense. These examples make it clear that character is more important than physical appearance. These false assumptions and notions of beauty must be rectified as soon as possible. Otherwise, the beauty of Indra Lok and the Earth will be for a particular profit-making mob. Lastly, we can't ignore the dark side of beauty pageants. Cases of sexual harassment against contestants taking part in such shows are coming to light. One of the notorious organizers, Manoj Jaisi, was  imprisoned  on a sexual harassment case. So, the state should monitor these contests seriously and the people should also be aware of the ugly aspect of the shows.

Sometimes back a national media published a news regarding the unusual and hateful names of Dalit people in their citizenship documents. The news disclosed the naked reality of our society where the traditional caste system is deeply entrenched. It shows how the so-called upper caste people treat minorities in our society. The officials involved in the citizenship issuance process apparently had no qualms approving the certificates issued to the people whose names were clearly assigned as insults by the people from the so-called upper caste. These civil servants are no doubt academically qualified to hold their respective jobs, but they also lack morality. This is the sad reality of our bureaucracy, which is run by mindless pen-pushers. The Dalit community of Nepal is the most victimized and oppressed groups of our society. But our society by and large rather than voicing their solidarity with the Dalits, they resent reservation actions like reservations for minority groups. In a democratic system, certain policies are made to ensure participation and representation of marginalized and deprived groups. In the context of Nepal, Dalits are more deprived of their socio-political and human rights. Due to this discrimination, the presence of Dalits in mainstream politics and state bodies is very little. The very structure of Nepali society is responsible for depriving Dalits of their rights. The caste system doesn’t give proper space to Dalits in the social sphere. For example, most Dalit candidates in local level election didn’t get votes from non-Dalits, particularly for executive position. Take any local unit of Nepal and you will invariably find that its head is a non-Dalit. This indicates the poor view of our society towards Dalits. The majority of non-Dalits openly dismiss a candidate if he or she happens to be a Dalit or a member of other minority groups. They cannot imagine a person whom they have oppressed and insulted all their lives becoming an elected official. This anti-Dalit stance runs deep in our society. So ensure Dalit participation, the government has provided nine percent reservation facility for the community. It has done the same thing for women, indigenous groups, disabled, Madhesi, Muslim, etc. But for many non-Dalits, reservation for Dalit community is intolerable. They argue that the reservation for Dalits has reduced the opportunity for qualified non-Dalit people. If so then why is Nepal, which was ruled over by the so-called upper caste people for centuries, still underdeveloped? It is only the reservation policy for Dalits that irks the non-Dalits. They believe the Nepali society is free of caste discrimination and that the reservation facility for Dalits is unnecessary. Clearly, as non-Dalits, they have no idea what it is like to be a Dalit in Nepal. They certainly do not reflect on their own biases when they vote, when they hire workers and even when they make friends. They don’t know the pain and suffering faced by Dalits. They don’t know what it is to be ostracized and discriminated against all their lives. They don’t know the feeling of being told not to enter someone’s house or a temple. They don’t know the shame planted by society on the minds of Dalit children, who grow up to resent themselves when they grow up because they were born to the so-called lower caste family. Therefore, the nine percent reservation quota for Dalits is not enough to right all the wrongs they have gone through since ages. But the non-Dalits do not see this, as they have never put up with the humiliation of being a Dalit in Nepali society. There are many Dalits who don’t want reservation as long as the society guarantees equal treatment and respect to them. They say reservation facility can’t heal the wounds of caste discrimination. It can’t revive the lives of Navaraj BK and Sete Damai, who lost their lives on the account of being Dalits. Every non-Dalit should come to the terms to the fact that reservation policy is not a compensation for caste discrimination. It is just a gesture offered by the state in hopes of healing the Dalit trauma. To grow up in a hateful environment and compete with those who have been enjoying the structural dividend from ages is unfair to Dalits. Non-Dalits should realize this. It is easy to criticize or form half-baked opinions. But it takes a lot of introspection, historical understanding and moral courage to understand the pains of Dalits.

The house-visit phase of the 12th national census has just concluded and by now all the requisite data must be in. The census staffs had visited people's homes, asking for their names, castes, religions, sex, etc. On the other hand, some Dalit activists and atheists have been vociferously expressing their dissatisfaction with the whole process. Dalit religious activists are saying that the Dalits should not have had to select ‘Hindu’ as their religion as they believe Hinduism is the main cause of their discrimination. Likewise, the atheists are asking: why couldn’t they say they believe in no god at all?

On the basis of the census tabulations, the state will come up with various plans, policies and programs to lift the status of certain groups. Moreover, census figures will be used to gauge the rise and fall in the number of adherents of certain religions. Expect some drastic changes in the religious mix.

This time, the census will show a higher number of Christians and a lower number of Hindus. But why has the number of Hindus gone down? The Hindu extremists may even accuse others, mainly Christian missionaries. But they will not analyze themselves, not see how they have discriminated against other human beings on caste basis. They will continue to ignore the demand for Dalit religious rights. The ignorance and insult of high-caste Hindus is a major factor making many Dalits change their religion. This is why the number of Hindu adherents may be down when the results of the census are published.

The Hindu extremists have never considered that the Sudras also belong to Hindu religion, and have similar castes, cultures and traditions. This has made many Dalits adopt Christianity so that they are treated as equals, both religiously and culturally. In Christianity there is no hierarchal discrimination. Everybody is equal and anybody can be a church pastor. That’s why it attracts Dalits and ethnic tribes.

Also read: Opinion | Alternative politics: Is there still hope? 

According to the new Christian Dalits, changing religion was a kind of rebellion against Hindu rites and rituals that traditionally discriminated against them in social, cultural and religious spheres. The Dalits are barred from entering temples and the so-called high castes refuse to have family relations with them. Moreover, Dalits are often mistreated, manhandled and even killed by so-called high caste Hindus. Many Dalits say they won’t have to face such discriminations in Christianity. Moreover, some Dalits argue, why follow a religion where beasts are loved and worshipped while many fellow human beings are insulted?

The encroachment of a foreign religion is a big challenge and threat to native Hindus. Day by day, more and more people, especially Dalits, are attracted by other religions that respect them. Just see the number of churches that have sprung up in places like Jumla and Kalikot, never mind in the more developed urban centers.

In India Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar converted many Hindu Dalits into Buddhism. Similarly, in South India, many Dalits changed their religion and adopted Christianity en masse. Nepali Dalits may decide to take a leaf out of their books.

If the current trend of systemic discrimination does not stop, there could soon be a drastic reduction in the number of Hindu adherents, with the exit of those who have otherwise been following Hinduism for ages. If Hindus are serious about protecting their religion, the first thing they need to do is respect the rule of law. For that they have to take legal action against those who practice caste-based discrimination. Second, they should adopt progressive policies to make the society a more even playing field. Likewise, the radical Hindus should deconstruct the discriminatory social norms and values, and they must introspect: What is making so many Dalits change their native religion?