Nepal's Lumbini First Province to Pass Landmark Dalit Rights Bill

Although the country has a national law on Dalit rights - which focuses on penalising discrimination against Dalits and ensuring equal rights - the bill endorsed by the Lumbini Provincial Assembly places greater emphasis on ensuring housing, medical, and educational facilities for Dalits.

Besides Lumbini, Nepal has six other provinces - Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali, and Sudurpashchim. Under Nepal's Constitution, provincial and local governments are allowed to enact their own laws, provided they do not contradict federal laws.

The bill provides for housing arrangements for individuals or families from the Dalit community, hostel facilities for economically disadvantaged Dalit students pursuing higher education, and priority placement for Dalit students in hostels of government, private, and community schools and universities within the province.

In the health sector, the bill guarantees free treatment, as prescribed by the provincial government, for impoverished Dalit citizens suffering from complex and serious illnesses. It also ensures subsidies, discounts, and concessional loans for technical machines, tools, and raw materials to preserve, develop, and modernise traditional occupations of the Dalit community.

Minister for Social Development Janmajay Timilsina presented the proposal for discussion and endorsement to the Provincial Assembly, and the bill was unanimously approved.

"Once the bill becomes law, it will ensure human rights and social justice for the Dalit community, guarantee inclusive representation at all levels of the state, and increase participation of Dalits from policymaking to implementation," said Minister Timilsina. "It will establish equitable access to economic resources, means, and opportunities for the Dalit community, thereby putting social justice into practice."

Lokmani Pandey, spokesperson at the Lumbini Provincial Assembly, told IANS that the bill once endorsed by provincial chief (Province Governor), will become the law. "The bill has sought number of welfare measures for the Dalit communities," he said.

Dalits constitute a sizable population in the province, representing 14.30 per cent of the total population, according to the 2021 census.

Nationwide, the community accounts for 13.44 per cent of the country's nearly 30 million population, according to census data.

The newly-formed central government, led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, announced in its 100-day action plan on March 30 that it would issue a public apology to the Dalit community for historical injustices and introduce reform-oriented programmes to address them.

- IANS