A Voice For the Voiceless

MISSION

The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

E-Bulletin, Issue 26

By Jagaran Media Center
January 3, 2007

"In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race. There is no other way. And in order to treat some persons equally, we must treat them differently."-Harry A. Blackmun (1908-1999)

Quota of MBBS meant for Dalit misused by Ministry of Education & Sports

Dalit student were given a 10 percent quota per year by the Ministry of Education & Sports. When Dalit students took the exam for the MBBS in November, surprisingly their names were published for the BDS dental program instead. Students in support of various Dalit intellects, members of NGOs, Dalit Student Union, journalists and human rights activists strongly protested against this for three days in front of the gate of ministry in Kathmandu.

The victims waited a whole day to talk with the minister and officers. When they weren't given a chance to meet,  they protested by locking and chanting slogans in front of the ministry.

The ministry was closed up and various Dalit student organizations, representatives of different Dalit NGOs and others protested againt their actions. The police took in the leaders of the peaceful protest, including Birendra Biswokarma, Pampha Sunar, and Laxman Nepali , a student. Sunil Pariyar, Sangita B.K., Prem Ghandarva, Ratnabir Sunar, Laxmi Khadka, Juna Nepali, Sambhu Biswokarma, and Ram Nepali were among the injured. They were taken to Kathmandu Model Hospital by the human rights activists.

The protest ended when the ministry realized its mistake and gave the same quota of the MBBS to the Dalit students.

The country is in a transitional phase and heading towards a complete change. There is debate on this type of social exclusion everywhere. The heinous act of the Education Ministry to curtail the quota for the Dalit students proves much has yet to be done to change the mentality of government officials.

A Dalit girl  gang raped and killed in Siraha District

A 12-year-old Dalit girl was killed after she was gang raped by four people in Siraha District. The crime was led by Phulgen Mandal.  Santolia Sada of Hanumannagar-6, Siraha was the victim. It happened while she was coming back from work at a nearby paddy field at Sarshor-6, in the evening.

Sada's mother, Chotki, sent her back home alone. While Chotki was walking home, she found loads of paddy and sickle. She called out to her daughter. When she didn't appear, Chotki screamed for help. The villagers found her dead body at a nearby field. She said  the culprits couldn't be found because of police negligence. The head of the district police office, Mr. Rajendra Bista, said they believe there was no rape. When they looked at Sada's mouth, they thought there was something wrong but they could only find out until after the postmortem.

Later on, after a thorough investigation, nine organizations who work for rights, publicized their findings that the girl was raped and killed. Among them were Human Rights Protection Centre, Siraha, WOREC Nepal, Samagra Janautthan Kendra, Dalit Samaj Sewa Sangh, Nepal Human Rights Organization, Siraha, Nagarik Jagaran Tatha Bikash Kendra, Bhaluwahi Samudaik Aadhyan Kendra and Dalit Utpidit Janajati Utthan Samiti. It was concluded that the girl was killed after being gang raped and that Fulgen Mandel led the crime. Mr. Sunil Shah, the Chairperson of Samagra Janauthhan Kendra, said that the team discussed with local intellects, villagers, police, and doctors. He also said after the thorough reading of the report, they are sure Fulgen Mandal was involved. The case will be closed after interrogating Mandal, said Mr. Shah .They have also asked for the victim to be compensated.

A Dalit girl gang raped in Saptari District

A 15-year-old Dalit girl of Joginia-2, Saptari, was raped by six people, including Jagadish Mukhiya and Shibu Mukhiya. It has been reported that the victim was rescued by the police.

On the night of November 30, 2006, the two men and other Indians asked Sakaldev Khatwe if they could stay the night. When he said no, they kidnapped his daughter,  Sita Khatwe (her name has been changed for safety). They took her to a bush where she was raped.

The girl said, crying, "Among the six, five raped me one by one. The gang in the morning discussed killing me and planned to bury my dead body in the ground somewhere. Five of them went to dig the hole..." When all those five came back, she told them that police were coming. They immediatly left before police could come.

When Sita's family informed the police about the incident, they found her near the bush the next morning, said Police Inspector Rajkumar Gautam.

Inspector Gautam said the report from Sagarmatha Zonal Hospital proves that the girl was raped. All six men are being searched by the police. Sita and her family claim that in spite of working for the Dalit in the district, no one came to ask if they needed help in their time of pain.

© Jagaran Media Center (JMC), Anamnagar, P. O. Box: 19619 Kathmandu Nepal
E-mail: info@jagaranmedia.org.np Tel: + 977-1-4226655, Fax: + 977-1-4256780, www.jagaranmedia.org.np