The population of the Dalit community in Madhes Province is larger than in any other province, making up about 18 percent of the total provincial population. Yet, despite systemic changes aimed at addressing the plight of Dalits—who remain socially, economically, politically, educationally, and culturally marginalized—their situation has barely improved.
In 2019, the Madhes Province government introduced the Dalit Empowerment Act to uplift the community. The law, brought forward under then Chief Minister Lalbabu Raut, was designed to formulate and implement programs safeguarding Dalit rights and advancing their interests. As part of the Act, the provincial government established a Dalit Development Committee tasked with creating and implementing empowerment plans across the province.
The committee was structured with the Minister for Social Development (now Sports and Social Welfare) as chairperson and a vice-chairperson selected from among Dalit community members with at least a bachelor’s degree and a record of contributing to Dalit upliftment. It also included four members—two of them women—appointed for a four-year term. However, the tenure of the last committee expired in Feb 2025, and since then, the provincial government has failed to appoint new office bearers.
Under the Act, the Council of Ministers is empowered to form the committee, drawing members from the Policy Commission, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning, the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, and the Ministry of Social Development. The vice-chairperson’s position carries the same facilities as an 11th-level officer of the provincial government. Appointments are to be made by the Council of Ministers on the recommendation of the Minister of Sports and Social Welfare.
Despite Minister Pramod Kumar Jayaswal recommending candidates to the Chief Minister’s Office two months ago, the process has stalled. Political wrangling and lack of priority accorded to Dalit issues have prevented new appointments.
“Until recently, we had only forwarded the recommendation for the vice-chairperson, but now we are preparing to send the names of all office bearers at once and finalize them in the upcoming cabinet meeting,” Minister Jayaswal said. “It has been delayed, but once new office bearers are appointed, work will move forward smoothly in the new fiscal year.”
Provincial Assembly member Lalita Tatma, however, accuses the government of neglecting Dalit issues.
The Dalit Development Committee was mandated to be consulted on all Dalit-related programs at the provincial level. It was also tasked with running income-generating and skill-development programs and carrying out research and publications on Dalit issues. But due to weak structure, poor implementation, and absence of leadership, it has achieved little.
Dalit leader Rajkumar Paswan of Saptari argues that the state’s indifference is evident in the vacant posts across commissions and institutions, including the Dalit Development Committee. “Dalits are subjected to violence, discrimination, and social oppression in Madhes Province. The committee was supposed to monitor, document, advocate, and resolve these problems, but it has been without office bearers for a long time. This reflects the government’s prejudice and political apathy,” Paswan said. “The government, which talks of inclusion, justice, and equality, has left the Dalit Development Committee headless and ineffective.”
Two years after the Dalit Empowerment Act was passed, Madhes Province formed its first Dalit Development Committee. Ram Pravesh Baitha was appointed vice-chairperson, with members including Rajkumar Das from Rautahat, Shyam Sardar from Parsa, Devi Das from Shewa, and Sunita Marik Dom. However, the committee faced criticism throughout its four-year term for failing to achieve much.
Outgoing vice-chairperson Baitha blames the government for undermining the body. “We were left stranded for a year after our appointment. In the second year, a budget of Rs 20m was provided, from which we managed to set up an office, purchase a vehicle, and conduct small-scale awareness programs. Beyond that, there was little support,” Baitha said.
The preamble of the Dalit Empowerment Act declares its aim to ensure Dalit participation in the social, cultural, political, civil, economic, and educational spheres while eliminating caste-based discrimination and untouchability. Yet in practice, the law remains largely unimplemented. The Act envisioned four monitoring committees to oversee issues of caste-based discrimination. Among them, the Caste Discrimination and Untouchability Monitoring Committee was to function at the provincial level under the Chief Minister, with responsibilities to study incidents, monitor laws, and ensure enforcement. Members included the Ministers of Internal Affairs and Law, Social Development, Dalit Assembly representatives, the Chief Justice, and others.
But according to activist Bhola Paswan, the committee has been inactive since Chief Minister Satish Singh assumed office. “The provincial committee led by the Chief Minister has not met even once. He has no interest in Dalit issues,” Paswan said. “The government treats Dalits as nothing more than a vote bank, without taking real steps for their upliftment.” The Act also required each rural municipality and municipality to establish a local monitoring committee under the mayor to tackle discrimination at the grassroots level. Yet, only 35 of Madhes’s 136 municipalities have formed such bodies.
Dalit leaders say that the hopes raised by the 2019 Act have been dashed. “When this Act was passed, Dalits in Madhes felt hopeful. We believed federalism had finally delivered for us. We thought committees would reach all eight districts, listen to our problems, and design proper programs,” said Manoj Ram, a Dalit leader. “But the reality is the opposite. Officials appointed to the committee cared more about salaries and allowances. During their four-year term, they did little for Dalits. They blame lack of government support, but the community gained nothing from leaders occupying positions just for the sake of it. Even now, I see no commitment from the government to act in favor of Dalits.”
According to the National Census 2021, Nepal’s total population is 29.1m, of which Dalits make up 13.4 percent. Madhes Province, with a population of 6.1m, has around 1.06m Dalits—about 18 percent of its residents. Data from the National Dalit Commission show a literacy rate of 77.9 percent for Dalits in Madhes, while 91 percent are considered economically active.
The Act promised a future where Dalits in Madhes Province could meaningfully participate in society and benefit from targeted programs. Instead, weak institutions, lack of political will, and half-hearted implementation have left the community frustrated. For many Dalits, the Dalit Empowerment Act of 2019 remains little more than words on paper—its committees underfunded, underrepresented, and largely inactive. Leaders and activists alike argue that without urgent government action and sincere prioritization, Madhes’s Dalit community will continue to face discrimination, exclusion, and neglect, despite making up nearly a fifth of the province’s population.
