GHORAHI, Jan 3: Though the interim constitution has introduced the provision of granting citizenship by descent via mother, people from the Badi community still hesitate to seek citizenship via mother.
As the identity of fathers of the people from this community is always questionable and their citizenship certificates are marked with a rather humiliating phrase “father not identified”, Badi people hesitate to claim citizenship via mother. [break]
“Citizenship certificates marked ´father not identified´ is humiliating to us. This has kept us from seeking citizenship via mother,” said Ishwar Badi of Ghorahi-11, Surgical tole. “In the Badi community, the identity of the father is always questionable,” he added.
Ishwor shared that even his own nephew applied for citizenship only to get his mother´s property transferred to his name.
According to Dang Dalit Women United Centre, there are around 100 youths the identities of whose fathers remain unknown and most of them do not want to apply for citizenship just because of the citizenship certificates would be marked with the “humiliating” phrase.
Executive officer at the centre Suklal Nepali many Dalits have thrown away their certificates just because of the humiliation it brought them.
“A Dalit youth resigned from Nepal Army in Dang because he couldn´t bare his colleagues´ humiliating comments regarding his citizenship. Similar, another youth quit a government job because of the same reason,” said Nepali.
However, Dang District Administration Office claimed that they had been issuing certificates as per the existing laws. “We are following rules amended by the government,” said Chief District Officer of Dang Abdul Kalam.