In this Issue:

1. Badi Women beaten by Maoists

2. Two dozens of Dalits affected by Rabies

3. Dalit students compelled to pay fees despite government facilities

4. Alliance with Dalits

5. Five injured by Khukuri

Badi Women Beaten by Maoists

1. Background:

Nepali people had to bear lots of problems during the 10 years long armed conflict. Maoist rebels used armed weapons, which up to some extent affected feudal society. But in the name of challenging traditions and old social customs, they have several times violated human rights. For instance, Maoist Cadres have recently beaten 16 women of Badi Community this 10 of May 2006.

After the royal takeover of 1st February 2005, the political scenario of the country was totally disrupted. Maoists and Seven Party Alliance then came in understanding and brought about 12 points understanding. People's Movement 2006 made King move steps back and House of Representative (HoR) was reinstated. A result of this historic achievement, country is now in the path of constituent assembly and there is seize fire declared from both the parties.

Maoists who have declared that they would respect human rights have once again violated the human rights. 30 households of Badi of Mudha, Kaliali were involved in forceful prostitution as they do not have any other alternate occupation to live their live for. Civil society and local organizations of Badis itself are working to end this occupation and for their rehabilitation but the state never supported them and brought about any special programs for their rehabilitation. Finally, this community has to rely in this occupation only. But in the 10 May '06, 8 Maoists came to village and beat the 16 women out of which 13 were involved in Pesha (the forceful sexual occupation in local language is called 'Pesha') and other 3 were not involved in Pesha. This should not be forgotten that Maoists were quiet in the incident when few guys of 'Shahi' surname were there in Mudha and burnt the house and hand of a woman when she asked for money of her occupation.

2. Place of incident:

Dododhara VDC – 7, Mudha, Kailali (Beneath tree of Simal)

3. Date and time of incident:

10 May 2006 at 16:30 hours

4. Victims of the incident:

1. Meenu Nepali - 20 years
2. Man Kumari Nepali - 20 years
3. Sarita Nepali - 32 years
4. Goma Nepali - 28 years
5. Sushma Nepali - 23 years
6. Sanchi Nepali - 22 years
7. Suk Maya Nepali - 23 years
8. Manju Nepali - 21 years
9. Sani Nepali - 32 years
10. Gomati Nepali - 36 years
11. Juthi Nepali - 40 years
12. Bhawisara Nepali - 41 years
13. Hira Nepali - 24 years
14. Butti Nepali - 26 years
15. Ramkali Nepali - 35 years
16. Reeta Nepali - 40 years

5. Perpetrators:

8 Cadres of CPN (Maoists), including Com. Tufaan and other 4 males and 3 females.

Area Incharge of the area is Com. Kasam and Com. Anu looks after this village, Mudha.

6. Modes of beating:

Sticks, boxes and kicks.

7. Details of the incident:

8 Maoists beat the 16 women of Badi community living in the Mudha Bazar of Kalilali district. The victims were not even given water to drink when they asked while they were severely beaten by the Maoists.

At 4:30 pm, 8 Maoists came to the Mudha Bazar and ordered all the women who are engaged in Pesha, to stand in a line beneath the Simal Tree. They were then beaten with the wooden sticks. 41 years old Bhawisara Nepali said, "I am woman with husband and children; I am never engaged in Pesha, but they did not spare me." All the victim women said that they requested to not beat them in hands to the women who have put Norplant (a medicine for family planning which is kept in arms) but Maoists hit in the same place more badly.

All the 16 women said jointly that they were not even given water to drink when they asked. Maoists threatened them by saying that they may die if they are given water to drink while being beaten.

As per the saying of victims and seeing nature of wounds, it can be easily assumed that they were wounded in sensitive organs as well. Meenu Nepali and Manju Nepali further said that if it was possible to show, we would show you but ……….. Even after the 10 days of the incident, there were clear sign of black spots at the back, arm and leg of the victims.

The incident took place in the presence of non-Dalits neighbors but none were there to speak in favor of those victims. Local resident Dinesh Nepali (Badi) said that the ex-teacher Purna Bahadur Thapa threatened that if this incident will be revealed to Human Rights defenders and journalists, it will be danger for all of you as well them and also we will snatch the cameras, pens or whatsoever they bring along with them.

Victim Gomati Nepali said, "This country has not yet made us its citizen; how can we think of rehabilitation. Due to our caste, we are always socially boycotted. Still, we are not able to touch and use the water-tap used by non-Dalits. We always had this problem with us and even Maoists have added one more, beating us like animals. How will we feed ourselves if we are not provided with alternate occupation? After we are beaten, we have stopped doing Pesha but this has made us slave begging in different villages. No one even gives a hand of rice while begging. Our livelihood management should be now done by Maoists."

Out of the total 16 victims, 13 treated themselves in Tikapur while other 3, Butti Nepali, Ramkali Nepali and Reeta Nepali did not medicate.

8. Eyewitness of the incident:

i. Hikmat Nepali:

We have our sisters in the Syaule Bazar of Kailali also. They are also engaged in Pesha. The Maoists of that area used to visit them everyday, counsel them and requested them to leave Pesha. But here, 8 Maoists came all of sudden at 4:30 in 10 of May and told to gather those females who are engaged in Pesha and started beating them with sticks, kicks and boxes. When asked for water to drink, water was not given. Some sisters who are not engaged in the Pesha were also hit, even they were not spared. It is matter of great insult to us that the male Maoists kicked our sisters in their sensitive organs in front of us. Our sisters were not given the level of hu! man beings.

ii. Dinesh Nepali:

This incident took place because of these villagers. Otherwise, no one was beaten in this area till this date. All of them were beaten all of sudden. They were beaten in 10th May and today after 10 days, there is still the sign of wounds. Who will be responsible for their treatment and their alternate occupation to live life for? This is to be publicized as soon as possible. We youths will work for our sisters to leave this occupation.

9. Uma Devi Badi – President, Community Assistance Committee, Tikapur, Kaliali:

We condemn this activity of Maoists. No one has right to beat human beings as animals. It would rather be a good step if all of us join hands together for their rehabilitation from this Pesha. It is not maturity to use power to tell them to leave Pesha until there is any alternate occupation for them. Our organization is ready to lead those victim women if they want to raise their voices. We will protest against such type of inhumane activity. If we talk about Kailali district alone, women from other castes are also involved in this type of Pesha but in good hotels. No one uses their power to stop them and our sisters have no other occupation then this and they are beaten instead. It is good to mak! e women leave this Pesha and our organization is also working since a long time for the same.

10. Perpetrator – Com. Tufaan:

We several times circulated the notice to not continue this occupation. Area Incharge Com. Kasam and Com. Anu who is responsible for this area have several times suggested these Badis to leave Pesha but they never agreed and finally we had to beat them. I agree that it was me along with other 7 comrades beat them. This action from our party is for their goodwill. They got hands and legs which work; they should be able to choose alternate occupation themselves for their livelihood.

11. Current situation of victims:

No one was ready to speak a word about the incident when this reporter was there to investigate. Exactly at the same time, 3 Maoists among those 8 came there to ask them to attend their program in nearby village the following day. This reporter then had a dialogue with these Maoists and asked them on which ground did they beat these women. Only then victims came in front and cried out their pains.

Wounds and sign of wounds can still be seen. They have completely left the Pesha from 11 of May and are now begging in different villages by forming groups. Victims say that they do not get anything from begging but are rather being insulted everywhere. There is always problem of hand to mouth. They say they are rather made 'Slaves' now.

12. Conclusion:

Dalits were sandwiched during the state of armed conflict. Now during the state of cease fire also, they are victimized. In the discriminatory social structure, Dalits are always victims and are always loaded with problems.

Having seen the nature of incident, Dalits are brutally beaten and their human rights violated. Sanchi Nepali, who was pregnant of 4 months, has also not been spared and was beaten severely. Nepali people are now not ready to accept the same old way of treating and taking action against them when there is law and order in the country now. It is illegality of Maoists who call themselves people oriented organization and don't allow people to drink water while beating them. Maoists should apologize with these Badi Women publicly for this mishap and take strong action against the perpetrators.

Two dozens of Dalits affected by Rabies

Due to the lack of awareness one Dalit woman died of rabies while two dozen others are suffering from the infection at Ram Tole of Makarahar VDC- 6 Rupandehi.

The pet dog belonging to Krishna Regmi had bitten Regmi's father, mother and son besides Hari Kala BK, 73, of the same locality on 7 February 2006. Due to poverty and lack of awareness, BK did not receive anti-rabies vaccine though all the Regmi's family members did. Therefore, Hari Kala BK, wife of Bhagiram BK, died on 13 May 2006. The disease was transmitted through various means to all other people who were in touch with Hari Kala after she was affected.

Those affected are –

Buddhi Maya BK, 25, Kopila Pun, 40, Sumitra BK, 33, Shyam BK, 30, Kiran Pun, 43, Maniram BK, 73, Gopal BK, 30, Jit Bahadur Rasaili,51, Manju BK, 4, Karisma BK, 7, Pradip BK, 10, Neha BK, 4, Ashok BK,9, Sangita BK, 10, Manoj BK, 12, Jyoti BK, 7, Sarmila BK, 35, Bijay BK, 30 and Dipak BK, 12.

The locals blame Regmi for not providing treatment to Hari Kala, who used to work for him. They also demanded that Regmi should be held responsible for the treatment of all the affected people.

The Lumbini regional Hospital had declared that Hari Kala had died of rabies on 12 May 2006. The health check up confirmed that 21 people of the same family and three other locals have been affected by rabies. Those affected are crying for help.

A field study was conducted by Dipak Kumar Pariyar of Jagaran Media Center , Dipak Kumar Biswokarma of Chamber of Commerce, Durga BK of REMAD on 22 May 2006. After the study different organizations have initiated to seek support for their treatment. District Administration Officer and Medical Superintendent of the Lumbini Regional Hospital both are positive. All the affected have been admitted to the hospital.

However, the locals have criticized the government apathy over such harrowing incident in which a large number of people have been affected at a same time.

It is possible that more people could be infected by the disease as it is communicable disease. The locals are in panic due to such infection on a large number of people. Therefore the locals want their treatment should be done immediately and the experts should help the local to relieve from panicking informing them more about the disease and the ways to be safe from it. Besides, the government should provide relief to the affected locals, local social leaders said.

Dalits students compelled to pay fees despite government facilities

The schools of Kailali district are illegally collecting fees from Dalit students despite the direction of the government not to collect fees from poor Dalit, Janajati and girl students.

The district committee of National Dalit Network had handed over a memorandum to the District Education Office on 11 May 2006 demanding to stop illegal collection of fees from poor Dalit students of the district. For the same reason Dalit and Liberated Kamaiya Struggle Committee also organized protest rally and sit-in protest at DEO.

The DEO has directed all the schools not to collect fees from poor Dalit, Janajatis and girl students besides other poor students as the government has provided scholarships to them.

The carbon copy of the letter sent by the DEO to the schools had reached at the offices of the local Dalit organizations on 20 May 2006.

The letter has also stated that the schools collecting fees from those students could be fined up to Rs 25,000. It has also stated that the students once admitted to any school need not pay admission fees for the following academic years.

Alliance with Dalits

The Palpa district committee of Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES) organized an interaction on "Let's make working alliance with Dalits" which is a part of ten point program for Social Justice.

While addressing the function as a chief guest president of Utpidit Utthan Bikas Kendra Surya Prakash Darnal said practicing untouchability in the 21st century is just foolishness and therefore Human Rights activists should make Dalits aware of their rights by organizing such programs at times.

"The feudalists in their regime refrained us from education and therefore we need reservations now. This will increase our access to all sector of the society and that will gradually end discrimination and untouchability as well," he said.

Member of the civil society Palpa Min Bahadur KC said revolution is necessary for social change "for which HURPES Palpa is always ready."

He questioned why people do not accept water from Dalits when they accept all other things including their skills, blood etc.

Zonal member of Mukti Samaj Siru Gotame opined that if the state does not address the problems and aspirations of Dalit communities another revolt may arise and therefore they should have proportionate representation at all the sectors of the state mechanism.

Coordinator of the program Sarif Gahatraj presented a 10 point program for social justice.

The 10 points include legal action against the people practicing untouchability, ensure access of Dalits at all the public places and public religious places, appropriate representation in all the administrative and other services, compulsory representation of Dalits at all levels of the political parties, ensure Dalits representation at all elections including the election to Constituent Assembly.

Similarly, the program also demand the end of all forms of discriminations upon Dalit students at schools, end of intra-Dalit discrimination, provide skill-oriented training and employment to Dalits to empower them, ensure easy access of Dalit students at schools and provide scholarships in appropriate number and programs should come from all the sectors of the society in order to uplift the Dalit community.

The program was organized as part of the Equality Awareness Campaign of the HURPES.

Five injured by Khukuri

Five people have been injured when one attacked with Khukuri after the conflict rose while paying bus fare at Biratnagar.

Dinesh Koirala of Bishnu Paduka Patwali of Sunsari had attacked the five people including Ranjit Biswokarma, Ram Pariyar of Dharan-12. All five injured people have been receiving treatment at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan. Among the injured the condition of Ramesh Biswokarma, a taxi-driver, is critical. He had sustained injuries at his head, neck and belly.

One of the injured Gopal Neupane said Koirala attacked taxi driver Biswokarma and other present there with Khukuri while they were quarreling about taxi fare. Koirala has been arrested following the incident.

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