NGOs get fat while Musahars left high and dry

Despite the many political transformations Nepal has recently witnessed, the lives of the Musahars, a Dalit community from the Tarai, have barely changed.

Musahars have been living in 24 districts of Nepal for generations and work mainly as manual laborers. They are deprived of education, healthcare and jobs, as well as government services and facilities.

Among the 22 castes Nepal lists as Dalits, five are from the hills while the remaining 17 are from the plains. The government spends millions of rupees every year in the name of improving the Dalit communities’ living standards. But many Dalits have not benefitted.

Musahars are treated as untouchables and insulted. Many allege that international NGOs such as UK Aid, Department for International Development (DFID) and Street Child have not been transparent in their financial transactions and suspect irregularities.

Nepal National Musahar Association (NNMA) says that due to irregularities, the centers established for the purpose of improving the lives of Musahars have been unable to function properly. DFID has been running a project called ‘Break the Bond’ at the centers in partnership with various local
organizations.

Even though the centers have been giving training on literacy, life skills, income generation and women’s awareness, a local Musahar leader Pacchu Majhi claims that they have been ineffective. “INGOs have been cheating us. They call us for a day, offer us food, and then ask us to sign an attendance sheet for the whole month. But they do not care about improving our lives or about educating us. NGOs are getting fatter while we get poorer,” he laments.

At an NNMA press conference in Janakpur on June 23, General Secretary Ram Sworup Sada accused the dozens of Musahar centers across several districts of being an easy source of money for their officials. Currently, there are 17 Musahar centers in Mahottari, 24 in Dhanusa and 21 in Siraha. “There is hardly any Musahar participation at such centers,” alleged Sada.

NNMA has issued a press release demanding that 60 percent of the employees of the Musahar centers be Musahars, that the age group eligible for enrollment at the centers be changed, and that the budget and activities of the centers be made public.

Other demands include making Musahars in-charge of monitoring the centers, and giving Musahar girls
Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 for running a business. The release warned that failure to meet the demands would lead to street protests and a boycott of the center’s activities.