Under-representation of Dalits in state organs

The very first meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on 28 May 2008 declared Nepal a federal democratic republic by abolishing a 240-year-old monarchy.   Even after 14 years into the switch to a federal democratic republic in Nepal that followed the revolution of 1951, the 1990 People’s Movement, the Maoist war and the 2006-2007 People’s Movement II, there has been no substantive transformation in the lives of the people. Worse still, the Dalits, a deprived community, have been faring no better with economic, social and political issues facing them not yet mainstreamed despite their united struggle against structural inequalities and caste-based discriminations spanning about 76 years.   Let’s look into the numerical ‘strength’ of Dalit representatives in legislature and executive organs of the state to understand this issue better. 

In the existing 275-member House of Representatives (HoR) that took shape after 20 Nov, 2022 elections, the Dalit community that makes up 14 percent of the national population has 16 members, accounting for just 5.81 percent of the HoR’s strength. Out of them, 15 were elected through the proportional representation system, whereas one representative made it through first-past-the-post (FPTP) election. The HoR formed right after the promulgation of the Constitution through the Constituent Assembly had a marginally better Dalit representation with 19 Dalit lawmakers (six percent of the House’s total strength). In the 601-member CA constituted in 2008, 51 Dalits (8.48 percent) represented their community but Dalit representation dropped to 41 (6.82 percent) in the second CA formed after the 2013 elections. In the last HoR elections held on 20 Nov, 2022, Dalit candidacy from the Nepali Congress, a major political party, under FPTP (direct) election was nil.

Seven of the 58 members in the National Assembly (the Upper House of the Parliament) are from Dalit communities. This representation has been made possible due to a provision that one Dalit member should be elected from each province for the upper chamber.  In provincial assemblies (PAs) and governments, the situation isn’t any better.   Out of 550 members in seven provincial assemblies, only 31 are from the Dalit community, making up a paltry 5.63 percent of the total strength. Out of them, two got elected under the first-past-the-post system, while the remaining 29 made it through the PR system.  Let’s take a look at the Dalit representation scenario in each province. Only four of the total 56 PA members in Koshi are from the community, accounting for 7.14 percent of the assembly’s strength. Madhes Province has seven members elected from the community out of 64 PA members, accounting for 10.93 percent. Bagmati Province has the lowest representation from the community, with only two out of PA members from the community, accounting for 3.03 percent of the assembly’s total strength. Gandaki Province has the highest number of representatives from the community, with six PA members from the community out of 36, accounting for 16.66 percent. Five of the total 24 PA members in Karnali Province are from the community, including one under the FPTP. In Sudurpaschim Province, three out of 32 PA members are from the community (9.37 percent of the assembly’s strength).  Historically speaking, Dalit representation in the executive organ has remained no less dismal. Hira Lal Bishokarma, appointed assistant education minister in 1974, was the first minister to represent the Dalit community in the government during the 30-year Panchayat regime. He later served as the assistant minister for education and supplies and as a minister of state during the regime that ended with the advent of multiparty democracy in 1990. Prakash Chitrakar, Lal Bahadur Bishwakarma, Hari Shankar Pariyar, Golchhe Sarki, Pratap Lohar and Man Bahadur Bishakarma became part of different Cabinets from the community from 1974 till 2006, but none of them got full ministership. Khadka Bahadur Bishokarma and Chhabilal Bishokarma are the first full ministers from the community—respectively helming the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and the Ministry of Agriculture and the Cooperatives in the interim government formed on 25 April, 2006 under Girija Prasad Koirala. Some more names have made it to different governments since then, but the Dalits remain underrepresented in state organs.  The present federal government has one minister of state from the Dalit community. This kind of under-representation is against the spirit of the Constitution, which, in its preamble, promises to end discriminations relating to class, caste, region, language, religion and gender, in order to protect and promote unity in diversity, social and cultural solidarity, tolerance and harmony.  In addition, Article 40 of the Constitution states that Dalits shall have the right to representation in all agencies of the state based on the principle of proportional inclusion. Whereas several other segments talk about the rights of women, Dalits, Adibasi-Janajatis, Madhesi, Tharu, minorities, persons with disabilities, marginalized groups, Muslim, backward classes, gender and sexual minority groups, youths, peasants, laborers, oppressed people and people from backward regions, and economically poor Khas-Aryas. Dalit leaders say relevant data show a bleak picture of Dalit representation at decision-making levels. “The Dalits have neither strong representation in the parliament nor in the government. Their representation at the decision-making remains a neglected issue,” Padam Sundas, a leader of the Dalit movement, says, accusing political parties of discriminating against the Dalits while selecting election candidates. The PR system is supposed to be for electing people, especially from backward, suppressed and marginalized communities. Of late, however, PR seats have gone to those with access to power and money, observes Janata Samajbadi leader Durga Sob.  CPN (Maoist Center) leader Parshuram Ramtel says a weakening Dalit movement, Dalit leaders’ failure to raise voices for representation of their communities within their respective parties and political parties’ apathy toward issues related to inclusion are some of the factors behind under-representation of Dalits in the parliament. Whereas Sob says there should be representation of the community in both the parliament and the government in proportion with its population. Lawmaker Kamala Bishwokarma says political parties have failed to ensure Dalit representation in the parliament and the government as per their election manifestos. Summing up, full implementation of the Constitution, including its preamble that has envisioned an equitable society based on the principle of proportional inclusion, is necessary to increase the representation of Dalits in state organs.