Saileswori Temple Brutality

This Nonsense Must be Stopped!

September 28, 2006

Honorable Dy Prime Minister
Mr. K. P. Sharma Oli
Kingdom of Nepal
Kathmandu
Nepal

Honorable Dy. Prime Minister

I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the clear violation of the Nepalese Constitution in regards to the criminalizing of caste-based discrimination and violence, by upper caste people in the town of Dipayal, Silgardhi in the Doti district on 17 September 2006.

Not even six months have passed that the house of parliament announced the country of untouchability. All the victims of untouchability celebrated the announcement. In the brink of this announcement, this government has been challenged by the Saileswori temple incident of Doti. On the morning of 17 September 2006, Dalit worshippers attempted to enter the local Saileswori temple of Dipayal, Silgadhi, under the direct protective supervision of the District Administration Office (DAO) and the District Police Office (DPO) of Doti. Their worship was disrupted when religious fundamentalists started protesting against their very presence in the temple, vandalizing Dalit representative organizations, and physically attacking Dalit worshippers. Frenzied upper caste protestors vandalized and set fire to the local offices of the Educational Development Centre (EDC) and the Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO), as well as the DAO of Doti district. Up to 60 Dalits and 5 Policemen, including District Superintendent of Police (DSP) Moti Singh Dhami, were injured and are in serious condition.

I have received information from a reliable source that the present situation in the town of Dipayal, Silgadhi is so tense, that some Dalit families are choosing to seek refuge in a safer place, well outside the town limits.

Furthermore I am deeply troubled to learn that highly discriminatory incidents such as these are not an exception in the Doti district, and indeed greater Nepal, but unfortunately, a common and routine reality for the 4.5 million Dalits living in Nepal today. For example, on 26 August 2006, in the same area, Dalit women were harassed by the Priest of Shivalaya temple and local non-Dalit men, when they attempted to worship there on the occasion of Teej, a Hindu festival. Eventually, they were barred from even entering the temple. A public protest was held on September 7, by local non-Dalits against all Dalits, Dalit representative organizations, Dalit supporters and the like. Local authorities took no action in dismantling this protest. In response to this, local Dalits organized various rights-awareness programs at the local grassroots level, and submitted a memorandum to the DAO of Doti, demanding that action be taken against the protestors, who were in direct violation of the Nepalese Constitution which clearly prescribes any caste-based discrimination as a crime. Thereafter, on September 17, the District Administrative Officer in coordination with relevant parties, made the formal ruling that Dalits have the right to enter and pay worship at public temples, and that those who choose to discriminate on the basis of caste, in whatever shape or form, will be prosecuted under the law. However, this failed to take any effect as clearly demonstrated by the later events of September 17, as outlined above.

It is my understanding that the caste system was officially abolished in Nepal in 1963, and that the Government of Nepal ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination on 30 January 1971.This was later endorsed in Nepal's domestic legislation, under the 1993 declaration by the House of Representatives (HoR) which prescribed any and all caste-based discrimination as a criminal offense - a move which was much applauded by the international community. Unfortunately however, contrary to the Constitution, cases of caste-discrimination and violence are a common and routine reality for many of Nepal's 4.5 million Dalits.

Behavior such as that outlined above is a clear violation of national and international protocol, and is therefore totally unacceptable. I therefore urge you to make immediate inquiries into the aforementioned cases of caste-discrimination and violence, and to apply the necessary pressure on the relevant judicial and law-enforcement authorities in the Doti district to provide more secure protection to local Dalits, as well as adequate financial compensation to Dalit victims of caste-discrimination and violence. Caste-discrimination and violence has been prescribed as a criminal offence under the Nepalese constitution; and should therefore be treated as such.

I look forward to your prompt and effective response in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

<signed>

Dharam Bishwokarma

President

Victims:
1. Many Dalit villagers in the town of Dipayal, Silgardhi in the Doti district
2. Local offices of the Educational Development Centre (EDC) and the Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO), as well as the DAO of Doti district 
Alleged perpetrators: Many unidentified upper caste people in Doti district
Date of incident: 17 September 2006
Place of incident: Saileswori temple in Dipayal, Silgardhi, Doti district, Nepal