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Maria Skouras (New York University) volunteered in 2011 as a Peace Fellow for eHomemakers in Malaysia.

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Partner Campaigns > Dalit Rights in N... > Challenge > Balighary

Balighary

Two million Nepalis are thought to work under the system of balighary, which forces Dalits to perform traditional professions, usually without payment in cash. Resam Pariyare and Devin Greenleaf examine the practice.
 
Balighary pratha is a system in which Dalits provide a service based on their traditional occupation, according to their sub-caste. They usually work for high caste Hindu landlords and are paid mostly in kind (grains). In addition, each craftsmen also gets his traditional share (food, vegetables, cloth, etc) when there is a festive occasion, marriage and some rituals in the house of the client.
 
The relationship can be temporary or permanent. In the Hills of Nepal, Balighary Dalits will include Damai (tailor), Sarki (leatherworker) and Kami (blacksmith).  In the (low-lying) Terai, balighary Dalits will include dhobi (washermen), Badi (potters and entertainers) and hajam (hairdressers).
 
Balighary is similar to forced labor. The system is equally rigid and unyielding, and those affected do not receive a wage for their work. Instead, they make their living from servicing the needs of wealthier families from the upper castes. This, plus the fact that they are paid in commodities, means that many live in absolute poverty. Entire families are dependent on landlords/patrons and denied basic rights such as education, freedom of movement and others. The poverty and the profession is also handed down from one generation to the next, because of the lack of any alternative.

Some Balighary families are forced to pay off their accumulated debts to the landlords by selling their labor. Because of their poor economic condition, they are deprived of education. Most do not own property or land, nor can they use their skills in a modern setting because of the lack of modern equipment and training. Balighary Dalits must also perform other tasks for their patrons including plowing the fields, pulling hay and washing dirty dishes. 
 
The system has political implications. Balighary Dalits make ends meet with great difficulty and are restricted in their mobility. As a result, they feel powerless to stand up for themselves and are completely dependent on those who exploit them. This adds to their sense of desperation and entrapment.  Because they have no viable alternatives, Baligary Dalits are afraid to stop work and demand a fair wage. They feel that their employers will simply take clothes to be mended in town. The trap is psychological and economic. Many agonize about exchanging the security they know, for a freedom that might leave them more impoverished (Kalpristha National Daily, 2005).
 
In spite of Nepal’s move towards democratic freedom, Balighary Dalits are deprived of human dignity and the space to participate in the democratic process. They have no share in the power structure and cannot engage in political activity because they are so busy making ends meet. They are also unaware of their own rights and how they might benefit from the process. In short, the system of Balighary is completely feudalistic: it reinforces and perpetuates social inequity and caste discrimination. And it prevents leaders from emerging, and helping their communities gain their rights through political participation.
 
What could be done?


Resam Pariyare is an activist based in the town of Nepalgunj. He serves as Chairman of the organization Pidit Janasewa Bikash Karyakram. Devin Greenleaf served as an AP Fellow in Nepal in 2007 he returned in 2009 to produce the material for these pages.

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