On the occasion of the 60th International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, observed on March 21, the Dalit Lives Matter Global Alliance has launched a 100-day campaign- March to Justice.
17-year-old Rinku Sada of Siraha, who was brutally gang-raped and murdered, is yet to receive the justice. The legal process has dragged on without any sign of resolution. In another incident, due to their inter-caste marriage, Satyendra Kumar Ram (Chamar) and Neha Rauniyar of Sarlahi were forced to flee the country while the entire administration responded to their union with violence. Just this Wednesday, under the pretext of a religious ceremony (Mahayagya), homes of the Dom community were bulldozed and families displaced, claiming they had “polluted” the event. It is in response to such caste-based violence and discrimination and with the aim of building an equitable society, March2Justice campaign has been launched.
The campaign will commence with a conversation with Bezwada Wilson, National Convenor of Safai Karamchari Andolan (Sanitation Workers Movement), India. Bezwada Wilson has been at the forefront of the movement to end manual scavenging in India and was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2016 for his contribution to human rights and social justice.
The March2Justice campaign will include a series of events aimed at resisting caste-based violence and discrimination, amplifying stories of resilience from Dalit and marginalized communities, providing legal support to victims in their pursuit of justice, and creating pressure for the implementation of constitutional provisions. Through this campaign, young people will also engage in digital spaces to raise support and justice for Dalit communities. The campaign aims to highlight the experiences, thoughts and perspectives of youth, regarding caste-based division, discrimination, and exclusion. In line with this vision, Dalit Lives Matter’s television program Caste Conversation is currently being broadcasted on Himalaya Television, every Thursday.
The historical context of March 21 traces back to South Africa. Although the majority population in South Africa was Black, the country was ruled by a white minority. In an effort to intensify control over Black people, the white regime introduced the highly autocratic and discriminatory ‘Pass Law’. In resistance, on March 21, 1960, the people of Sharpeville rose in protest. The apartheid regime responded by massacring 69 protesters. Recognizing this atrocity, the United Nations General Assembly in 1965 declared March 21 as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in honor of the Sharpeville Massacre.
Since then, March 21 has been marked globally as a day to celebrate justice and equality. In Nepal too, the day is commemorated to reflect on and resist caste and racial discrimination. On this day of global solidarity for the oppressed, we are launching the March2Justice campaign. To resist against the deeply-rooted and ongoing caste-based violence in Nepal, this campaign will run until Nepal’s National Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and Untouchability on Jestha 21 (June 4).
Dalit Lives Matter Global Alliance is a global movement dedicated to ending caste-based violence, discrimination, and exclusion. It was born in response to the 2020 Rukum West Massacre, where Nawaraj BK and five of his friends were brutally killed while attempting to engage in an inter-caste marriage on Jestha 10, 2077 (May 23, 2020).
The caste system and the inequality it perpetuates is not an issue that only certain communities should speak out against. It is a deep stain on humanity itself. To end the caste system, there is no alternative to meaningful participation, partnership, collaboration and solidarity from all castes and communities. Therefore, through this press release, the Dalit Lives Matter Global Alliance calls upon your support, solidarity, and cooperation.
Thank you.
Pradip Pariyar
Founder and Chairperson
Dalit Lives Matter Global Alliance
