Summary:

 There is high population of Chaudhary and Dalit community in ward no. 1,PipraBasatpur VDC of Bara District. The trends of not letting Dalit community to accesspublic taps has been practicing in their community since decades. Dalit communities in that ward were discriminated by Chaudhary community of that area. Due to caste based discrimination, they were not allowed to access public hand pump and they used to fill water pots when water was extracted by non-Dalit community from tap and poured to separate vessel. Dalit communitywere afraid to go against the majority of Chaudhary community in that area. After implementation of this project in that VDC, various activities that Dalit and non-Dalit community were organized. HR education campaign was organized in community through HR education workshop and door to door campaign reaching almost all households of community. Similarly, non-Dalit community provided their commitment against CBD&U through solidarity program. These kinds of activities helped bringing all communities in same platform. These led increase in initiations and practices for ending CBD&U in their community. People started accessing public taps together without any discrimination.

Challenges:

The people from Dalit community have been deprived of accessing public services in the community. Non-Dalit people in the community have objected in allowing similar services for Dalit in the community. The same case happened at ward no. 1 of Pipra Basatpur VDC and the people from Dalit community were suffering with same situation. Earlier, the people were not allowed to fetch water from public hand pump. Either they have to wait for non-Dalit to fetch water and pour in separate vessel (not allowed to fetch directly).  This custom has been prevailing in almost all part of Nepal where there is Dalit community.

Initiative:

The overall activities of the project are targeted towards increasing collective voices and actions by Dalit and non-Dalit community and organizations at all levels for combating caste based discrimination and untouchability practices and promoting human rights for all in all situation. Similarly, HR education campaign plays vital role in sensitizing community people about human rights, existing laws and policies, roles of police, NDC and NHRC where people can seek for justice when they are discriminated against CBD&U. Likewise, solidarity programs helps in providing commitments from stakeholders that helps in developing non- discriminatory practices in community level in all forms. Therefore, similar activities were conducted in ward no. 1, Pipra Basatpur VDC of Bara District.

Results:

The activities conducted for protecting and promoting Human Rights of all in all situations helped bringing all communities in same platform and ending practices of discrimination in thecommunity. People started accessing public taps together without any discrimination. Seema Paswan from same ward shares that she can fill her water pot in public pump without any hindrances. “These discriminatory practices were created by human being itself, so, we have to lead for ending these bad traditions. After HR programs were introduced to our VDC we got to know about various laws related to it. People are comparing CBD&U as crime these days, so they are afraid of law to discriminate Dalit in terms of their caste. This helped us bringing pleasant environment among Dalit and non-Dalit people in our community.” says, Seema.