Dalit organizations affiliated with three major political parties in the district have vehemently opposed the reconciliation facilitated in a case of caste-based discrimination against Dalit women, including a ward member, in Umakunda Rural Municipality.
On March 8, during a formal event at Chirmalu Gumba in Ward No. 3, organized to welcome a Lama guru, 52-year-old Chhokpa Sherpa allegedly subjected 32-year-old Ward Member Sharmila Nepali and other Dalit women to blatant caste-based discrimination, compelling them to sit separately and eat apart from others.
Following this egregious incident, Ward Member Nepali, along with four other affected women, lodged a formal complaint at the ward office on March 9, demanding legal action against the discriminatory act.
Instead of ensuring due legal proceedings, the ward office referred the case to the Mediation Center, which, on March 10, convened both parties for a discussion and facilitated a reconciliation.
In strong opposition to this extrajudicial settlement, Bal Bahadur Damai, President of Nepal Dalit Sangh Ramechhap (affiliated with the Nepali Congress), Kul Bahadur Roka, Vice President of Nepal Utpidit Jatiya Mukti Samaj Ramechhap (affiliated with CPN-UML), and Sitaram Mungarati, President of Nepal Rashtriya Dalit Mukti Morcha (affiliated with CPN-Maoist Centre), issued a joint statement on March 13, condemning the reconciliation as unlawful and a direct violation of established legal provisions.
The statement underscored that caste-based discrimination is a state-led criminal offense, and any attempt to resolve such cases through informal mediation gravely undermines the judicial process.
“The Constitution unequivocally defines caste-based discrimination and untouchability as punishable offenses, with clear legal provisions prohibiting reconciliation in such cases. Despite this, instead of upholding the rule of law, the Mediation Center, in the presence of local ward representatives, facilitated an unlawful settlement, thereby raising serious concerns about judicial integrity,” the statement read.
The organizations have unequivocally demanded immediate legal action against those responsible for orchestrating the reconciliation, emphasizing the urgent need to uphold justice and prevent impunity in cases of caste-based discrimination.