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KATHMANDU, June 4: National Assembly Chairperson Narayan Prasad Dahal urged the government to declare Jestha 21- a day observed as the National Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and Untouchability - as a public holiday every year.
Speaking at a program organized by the National Dalit Commission to mark the 19th Untouchability Elimination Day, Dahal said, "Lawmakers have continuously raised their voices in Parliament demanding a public holiday on this day. I urge the government to take necessary action."
Dahal pointed out that Dalit communities in Nepal still lack adequate access to education, healthcare, employment, housing, social services, and government institutions. Although the Constitution guarantees their rights, he noted that the state has failed to implement them effectively. He added that most Dalit children remain deprived of quality education.
He also stated that Dalits face poor access to health services and limited job opportunities. Despite legal bans on untouchability and caste-based discrimination, violence, social exclusion, and humiliating treatment persist in everyday life.
He highlighted how Dalits continue to face restrictions in public spaces, face barriers to participating in communal activities in the name of religion or tradition, and endure dual exploitation-especially Dalit women. Dahal said such practices mirror the entrenched social inequalities in Nepal.
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While the law contains sufficient provisions to eliminate caste-based discrimination, Dahal said the country struggles with enforcement. He blamed delays in investigations, loopholes exploited by perpetrators, bias within state mechanisms, and the lack of victim-friendly institutions for deepening the suffering of marginalized communities.
He emphasized the need to pair legal reform with a widespread awareness campaign to change harmful social attitudes-starting with personal commitment to change.
Highlighting the National Assembly's actions, Dahal said the chamber has discussed a resolution to end caste-based oppression and ensure social, cultural, economic, and political equality, prosperity, and justice for Dalit communities. He noted that lawmakers have consistently raised concerns regarding Dalit rights.
"We must seriously reflect on how Nepali people have endured centuries of inhumane and painful discrimination-be it caste-based, gender-based, or regional," he said. "They struggled and sacrificed under monarchy, Rana rule, and the Panchayat regime. And just as we begin to build an empowered, rights-based society under the new Constitution, we now see regressive forces on the streets trying to undermine republicanism, federalism, secularism, and inclusive representation."
Dahal urged Dalits to unite with other oppressed communities to resist such regressive forces.
He praised the National Dalit Commission for its work in monitoring, investigating, advising on policy, supporting victims, and ensuring access to justice in caste-based cases. However, he stressed that the state and political parties must also show commitment. He called for inclusive perspectives in policy making, development planning, and budgeting.
Dahal argued that placing Dalit representatives at decision-making levels and involving them in the policy process would strengthen the foundation of social justice.
He lamented that even after the establishment of the republic, the state has failed to bring meaningful improvements to the lives of Dalits, who have long suffered from systemic discrimination and indignity. He called on the government to offer reparations, compensation, and affirmative measures without hesitation.
National Dalit Commission Chairperson Devraj Bishwakarma also emphasized the need to translate constitutional rights into concrete laws and ensure their full implementation.
People across the country observed the day with the slogan: "Let us celebrate the National Day for Elimination of Caste-Based Untouchability with grandeur and build an equitable society based on social harmony."
