A discussion program on the human rights situation in the district was held in Chautara on November 7, organized by the Central Office of the Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) and coordinated by the Bagmati Province Office.
A team comprising Dervisaki Nicole, Program Coordinator of Bread for the World; Bijaya Raj Gautam, Executive Director of INSEC Central Office; Shiva Khakurel, INSEC Bagmati Province Coordinator; Krishna Nepal and Natibabu Dhital from INSEC Central Office, held a discussion at the District Administration Office with Chief District Officer Bandhu Prasad Bastola and SP Rameshwar Karki of the District Police Office regarding the state of human rights in the district.
During the program, Chief District Officer (CDO) Bandhu Prasad Bastola stated that although Sindhupalchok District lies close to the nation’s capital, Kathmandu, it still remains backward in many aspects. He remarked that child marriage continues to exist in the district, rape cases are frequent, and caste-based discrimination incidents remain unreported despite their presence in society. He also noted a rise in cases of women returning home after being deceived, exploited for labor, and subjected to sexual abuse while working abroad.
CDO Bastola emphasized that reducing human rights–related incidents cannot be achieved by government agencies alone, and that collaboration with INSEC is necessary to address such issues effectively.
He praised INSEC for its remarkable contribution to the country by publishing the Nepal Human Rights Year Book, a task that neither government nor other non-governmental organizations have managed to do. He added that government agencies also use the Year Book as a credible reference for human rights violation cases, and that the District Administration Office refers victims of serious incidents to INSEC for assistance.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police (SP) Rameshwar Karki of the District Police Office stated that the police have consistently cooperated with INSEC in the protection, promotion, and advancement of human rights. Presenting data from the past three months, SP Karki reported six rape cases, one case of child sexual abuse, one case of polygamy, and one case of incest, making a total of nine incidents in the district.
