HOR declares Nepal “untouchability free” country

In yet another major announcement, the reinstated House of Representatives on Sunday unanimously endorsed a proposal to declare Nepal a country “free of untouchability and all kinds of discrimination.”

The legal and constitutional status of the proposal, however, remains unclear.

Moving a proposal of “urgent public importance,” a lawmaker of the CPN (UML), Parshuram Neghi Gurung, called on so-called dalit community—that constitutes 16 percent of the country’s 27 million population—in all processes of making new constitution and ending all sorts of discriminatory policies and practices including so-called untouchability.

The proposal calls for mobilization of special economic programme for education, health and employment for dalits and those under the absolute poverty line to their status.

The constitution of the kingdom of Nepal 1990 prohibits all types of discrimination against citizens on the basis of caste, gender or religion. But activists said a number of discriminatory provisions and laws were still in practice.

Addressing the House session on Sunday, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Narendra Bikram Nemwang said untouchability was a social crime and that the government would introduce a new bill soon to make necessary amendments in the existing Act.

Earlier, the House of Representatives has already declared Nepal a secular state and asked the government to formulate laws so as to issue citizenship certificated to children in the name of their mother. Earlier, the certificate could be issued in the name of father only.

Santosh....

u know.....u r one great person. I really do wish more and more nepalese men were like you.

Bhushan:

sure life is full of contardiction. The people who do not actually follow Islam as in Quran.... i dont consider them muslims. For me, Islam is really a code of conduct. About Burka... it is not mandatory. It is all abput blending. Actually, if I am in US ...wearing Burka would make me more conspicous...which is not the purpose of it.... so being a pert of it is okay.... morea than okay. And just talking about practicality of it...you would not want to have your daughter, sister, wife or Girlfren wear really something that make other males salivate, would you?...however much ppl think they r liberal..it is not always the case...to be succint...seldom is a case. I am liberalin all sense... i have my own career.... i do as I please...but meanwhile i find myself very pure...and of course VERY HAPPY...so why not. Again...i am speaking this for myself......like there is freedom in choice...it is up to you which direction youwant to veer your life towards.

More and more declaration by SPA House.

^%&$##@ couldn't post all morning because of posting limit which sucks

Felicity, women in islam are discriminated against so much in their countries. maybe in the US or another foreign country the theory of islam is good. But the practice really sucks. You should not encourage such a religion by joining it. A religion that says all other religious followers are infidels is not a good religion. We are living in the 20th century. Islam is full of hate and intolerance for other schools of thoughts.

I still dont agree with you, Bhushan. Sorry!

If you say Islam is extremist..so is all other religions. If you see the present context..... nihu khojne sandhai aru hunchha.... being defensive can not be taken offensively, yeah!

As for me..... I am still studying and on my way to conversion...... convience me with the valid reasons not to . :)

great going people.
i hope i am not late for untouchability and religion 101.
welcome back Bhushan and felicity.

Felicity,
There is something fundamentally wrong with a religion that considers all others infidels. This causes them to act differently with others with certain hint of contempt. Which in turn causes negative reaction from others.

And that's exactly what's going on in todays world. It's not that other religions are better but at least they do their own thing without condemning others.

there were lot of people who jumped to conclude that hindu as being bad religion (lack of knowledge) so what do you think of Islam??I don't want to offend your islam - felicity but i have tons of reasons against it but then again its your choice.

This article might be interesting concerning Islam.
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/harris/031027

heres another one too Christianity vs Islam
http://www.planetpapers.com/Assets/4061.php

I have not been reading news from Nepal quite from sometime. Weldone to whosoever have proposed for untouchablity free state in House! Theoritically we are untouchability free state since 2022 BS. It didn't work and it won't work until we act vigrously. We need practicle implementation of the law in a very active way. Penalty for abusear should be threatening. Any kind of discrimination should be taken as violation of civil right and victim should have right to sue the violator.

Discrimination is a sign of uncivilization. More you get civilized more you come out of this social cancer. Shame on those so called educated people who carry discrimination in their mind in 21st century. They don't publicly speak out because of the reputation but they gossip with their like minded buddies. Discrimination is thousands of years old idea; human gene has already been evolved a lot since then. I have great pity for them who still believe in social, economical, ratial ..., any type of discrimination.

I also know that it is really difficult to change the way of thinking, especially if it is motivated by the society and culture. Open up your mind! Ask these questions to yourself.

Is discrimination rational?

Is it scientific?

Is it good?

Is it healthy?

If you find answer in "NO", you should not carry it on though your mind is conditioned to do so.

Wrong can not live long. Discrimination is one of the biggest wrongs. It will completely get erased from human society. Regrettably we are going to be the last who keep adhering such a dirt. Long to go to catch the human race!

Happy to see some more like minded folks. I have found some genuine points to be addressed in this theread and will come up as time permits.

Dirty. filthy, Untidy, smily

So called untouchables are dirty and untidy because they are bound to do dirty and untidy work for their living. Since generations, so called upper caste people, are treating them as human machine. These machine has to live with dirt my friend, dirt is their benefactor, which keeps them alive.

Now these machine are being said that they are no longer machine but human being. However, they still are carrying that little machine mind, and have not learned to think and behave humanly. That's why they are dirty.

They are new human. How do you think they can compite with well skilled, well resourced people who were their master? They can not compite for tidy chairs because those tidy people try to hold their chairs for generations. So they are bound to do dirty work. That's why they are dirty.

Hundreds of thousands of people died during American civil war. Linchlon had had killed most of them. Besides massive killing he became hero because he fought for humanity. You know how he defend his killing?

"Hundreds of thousands of lives are penalty for crime against humanity (slavery)."

We have to hug those dirty, filthy, untidy, smily people because our ancestors had done crime against them. They are victim of the worng thought of our ancestors, ill mind of our ancester. We have to correct our ancesters mistake as we pay back the debt of our father.

Love and compassion only can save us. If you have compassionate love you can eat in a same plate with filthy person. It will give you happiness to both. Isn't this cool?

Harmony and discrimination can not co-exist. Discrimination has to go to have to have harmony. There are goodsmith (Sunar), Shoemaker (Sharki) philosophers, scientists in the west. How? They got opportunity. This is the reason why western society evolved. How can we have Sunar, Sharki philosophers when they were banned to touch books?

Our society is modeled only for privileged people. We have to chage it right now without delay. I am pretty much happy from the outcomes of the present revolution. However, these acheivements should be translated into actions. This is the most difficult task ahead of us and it is the responsibility of all of us. Lawmakers make laws, but they are us who have to follow.

These disadvantaged so called untouchables should get special privilege in the society to compite with privileged ones.

It will take some time to remove discrimination from mind, until then society will not progress. We all have this biggest responsibility to erase discrimination from our mind. Lets do it for welfare of all and for the progress of our society.

I am so worried for haterogeneous society like India. Such society can not move forward with full speed. I have dreamed for a homogeneous society, hope that will get materialized. For that we have to erase discrimination from our mind.

salivating males....

Abstinence is the virtue of spirituality. For that reason, I may accept Burka system. But I can't buy your crafted reason hai. Those sick males are disgrace to society. Please don't penalize the victims.

I admire your opinion on commitment and love before sex. How true Mohammed was to say that a man can be committed to four women at a same time but a girl can't. No, not exactly, I think a guy can be committed to more than four women at same time... he he..
drooling boys.....

Vishonter.....

Here i read your wholesome thoughts :)...... thank you...it is like what I had in mind and you expressed it. I am not as eloquent a writer. I earnestly wish all these things come into practice.

Bhushan.....

I wish I can explain in a much better way... but my time is killing me.... ! And, let me remind you, I am still studying Islam. I will write more, I promise. There is a great media divergions involved. Islam doesn't ask its followers to hate other religions..... NEVER..will write in detail later.

IM1.....
Could you please give me the reasons? Just sway me away from conversion....:)

santosh....

Thanks for the links.. i still have to read them though,..... i am sorry, i am very time pressed today. But thanks nevertheless. will write more after i read them.

SunnyDev....

That was not really a crafted reason. i am against burkah system. i dress up fine (without burkas, or hijabs) and yet i think i am virtuous and pious. islam really doesn't say that u have to dress up in certain way to be muslim. The gist of PARDAH is to block away any evil things..... so like.... pardah can just be in eyes....thats is what i practice. i dont look up to any other male(beside the one i love) into eyes and dwell there...for example.... and during business meetings or so... where eye contact is necessary.... i do that in a rigidly offican manner. For me, that is burkah. well.... sorry.... again... i am time pressed ...will write more later.


Thank you all.

Vishontar....

by the way.... long time back, i recall your writings on ISLAM...and I was pretty impressed. If it comes from you why I should not be converting..... that will mean much more. what do you say?:) take care. Gotta run.

See, that's the problem with all the religions. You know, there are irrational practices in every religion which we all despise. However, the devout can't question those practice and searches for some reason to prove its validity. It's only good to run away from evil if it is unsurmountable.

Religions are all same as far as you stick to their theme. Only difference is in their procedures or doctorines which are a mere tools to understand and practice the theme of the religion. There is no such tools like fit-for-all. I guess you didn't find Ved and Gita as good tools and select Quran.

That's all for my PURAN.. I will preach more along the way...

But I didn't understand why polytheism is not your cup of tea, when you said that you take religion as the "code of conduct". This is more confusing than polytheism itself.

How many of you have first hand experience of intercaste marriage, what ya all suggest in any such daredevil attempt.....no no it is not yet I die for you situation.

Felicity Ji,
Namaste! Islaam Bale Kum (If you have already get converted :))!

I am a free thinker and never hesitate to appreciate right thing no matter who said it and where it comes from. Disciplined life is wonderful! Life of morality is wonderful! What you discribe to Sunnydev is good, that will certainly help keeping you happy. You don't have to be Muslim for that. Decent guy or girl of any society, any culture, any religion will appreciate that. For the happy life you must follow morality, this is rule of thumb.

If you are a decent girl, committed to your partner, that is one of the positive qualities. You will certainly be happy no matter whether you remain Hindu, Buddhist or get converted to Islaam. There are many descent Hindu and Buddhist girls like you, I know personally. They don't even know that the Kooran encourage for decent life, but they practice it. Where is this desency come from?

I live disciplined life and always strive for the perfection of morality. This keeps me cool and happy all the time. I haven't read Kooran and I don't believe that there is supreme power called Allah. Where did my morality come from? Where did my piety come from? Why my piety keeps me cool and happy like of yours even though I am not a Muslim and I don't believe in Allah?

Your partner (I believe Muslim) must be happy of getting such a committed descent girl. If he were Hindu or Baudha or Christian, he would also be happy person having you as a partner. It's the decency which is important and it is important for one and all under the sun. It dosn't matter whether you remain Hindu or you get converted to Islaam what matters is your desency, your morality, your way of living.

I believe you are Hindu or Buddhist by birth; have you been descent only after reading the Kooran?

contd.....

( Correction: I wrote above that I haven't read Kooran, it was just an example, in fact I have read it to some extent)

Any person, who has good qualities, cheers me up and will cheer up anyone in the planet. No matter whether s/he is Hindu ... Muslim... Buddhist ..... Christian ...... American .... Arab ... Nepali ... black .... white ... brown ... dark, a person with good quality will be loved, adored and praised by any wise person every civilization.

As you said believing on politheism is not your cup of tea. If you think politeism is the real Hinduism, I will be bound to believe that you don't have enough knowledge of Hinduism. Politheism is just a corrupted part of Hinduism. (What is real Hinduism I will write if necessry).

You said you are a scientist; I believe scientists are very rational people. You have to go back to 5000 years in Mesopotamia when theism started. Politheism and Monotheism are the part of the evolution of human civilization. Both are just beliefs equally unimportant(I will get lost if I go in this direction ... just a link for you)

You said you believe in one God and only one God. What makes difference to believe in one unseen, unknown thing than many unknown unseen things? Belief is belief, not a truth. Do you think that changing your belief from Polytheism to Monothism will transform you completely? If your answer is "Yes", then I must admit that belief matters. If your answer is "No", then the beliefs are useless.

You are a decent girl, that's your good quality. Does it have to do something with belief? Can you get decency only if you believe in one God? Do you mean that all the Muslim girls/guys are decent and non-muslim are not? I am a proud Hindu, but a son of Buddha, I admire your decency. Your are (mentally) Muslim girl, but I ( Hindu-Buddhist) admire your quality as a Muslim admires. What's the difference?

Lets say your story is true. There is Allah above the cloud, a Merciful, a beneficent, an ulmighty, a creater, protector and a distroyer. You are a nice person and believes on him. I am nice person too but don't believe on him. Do you think in the judgement day he will bless you with best Heaven and curse me on and throw me in the Hell Fire? If your answer is "Yes" your god is so arrogant. I have seen better human being than him and let me always oppose him. If your answer is "No" where is the place for belief and where is the place for Allah and religion?

I don't know why are you emphasizing on Islam. You should emphasize on good qualities. These good qualities are always be recognized by wise people of any religion and any society.

Good qualities doesn't have any religion, they are indifferent. There is no Hindu decency or Muslim decency or Christian decency. It's just a decency. There is no Hindu morality, Muslim morality or christian Morality. Its just a morality. There is no Hindu wholesomeness, Buddhist wholesomeness, Muslim wholesomeness, Christian wholesomeness. Its just a wholsesomeness. Piety doesn't have any religion. Good-Heart doesn't have any religion. Good-Will doesn't have religion. Compassion doesn't have any religion. Love doesn't have any religion.

These wholesome qualities are universal, equally recognized by all major civilizations and they have nothing to do with religion. Tell me any religion/any culture in the world which doesn't recongize good qualities and condemn bad qualities?

Average people of any religion don't practice wholesome. It's hard to practice good qualities so majority of world population will never practice. They are all alike no matter whether they believe in one God, many Gods or no God. Those who embrace good qualities and practice good qualites, they all are alike no matter whether they believe in one God, many Gods or no God.

You guys rck