Anyone who lives in Nepal knows about caste and untouchability — the social rules that slot people into rigid groups from which they can rarely escape. At the bottom of the caste hierarchy are the Dalits, previously known as untouchables.
Anyone living in Nepal would be aware of the deadly, violent crimes committed against Dalits, almost always with no legal consequences. (Since I recorded this episode at least two Dalit girls have been raped and murdered.) But as you will hear in my introduction, the incident reports from the Nepal Monitor provide a sense of the daily indignities and violence that Dalit people face in this country.
In recent months, parallel with the Black Lives Matter movement, there has been a surge in efforts to ensure that Dalit lives also matter. Today we’re talking with Pradip Pariyar, Executive Chairperson of the Samata Foundation, an organization that works to ensure the rights of Dalits in this country.
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Thank you to PEI in Bakhundole for the use of their studios.
Nepal Now is produced and hosted by Marty Logan.
