He was accused of touching a Dalit

Deepak Pariyar, 19 Chaitra 2079, Sunday

Pokhara – Santosh Periyar and Sujan Lamichhane of Machhapuchhre-5 Rivan of Kaski have been arrested on the charge of caste discrimination by making separate kitchens for Dalits and non-Dalits during fasting. Accused People’s Representative Ward Member Ramji Lamichhane and local Sarita Lamichhane are ‘absconding’.Narayan Pariyar of Pokhara-29 Bhandardhik had reached the ancestral village of Rivan on February 25 to participate in the fasting of his relatives. Santosh Pariyar’s two sons, Sahil and Sameer, were gifted to him. When Sarita Lamichhane, a local working in the kitchen, asked her surname, she said that she was Pariyar. Lamichhane stopped him 20 meters away saying that there was a separate kitchen for the ‘Damai’.Narayan proceeded towards Bhater saying that it was wrong to have a separate kitchen. At that time, the ward member Ramji Lamichhane said that the kitchen was dirty when the Dalits touched it and threw lentils, rice and vegetables on the floor. Local Sujan Lamichhane ‘Does the damai come to Bahun’s kitchen?’ Bamki said. “In today’s era, the ward member told me that Dalits are being abused,” Pariyar said, “I felt humiliated when my relatives started insulting me.”The incident did not stop there. In the evening, Santosh Pariyar called Narayan and asked him to bear the loss of having to throw away all the cooked food as he had left the kitchen. According to Narayan, Santosh had wasted his 150,000 rupees, insulted the guests and asked him to bear the expenses as the fast was a failure. Santosh threatened over the phone that he would be kicked out of his clan and not allowed to enter the clan temple.On Chait 6, Narayan filed a complaint against Santosh Periyar, People’s Representative Ramji Lamichhane, local Sarita Lamichhane and Sujan Lamichhane at the district police office for committing caste discrimination by arranging separate kitchens for Dalits and non-Dalits and throwing food away.The police arrested Santosh and Sujan and kept them in custody. Narayan has demanded to take action under the Racial and Other Social Untouchability and Discrimination (Crimes and Punishments) Act 2068 and pay compensation.Fraternal organizations of political parties in Kaski protested against the incident and demanded action against the culprits. Mukti Samaj, Nepal Dalit Association, Nepal Dalit Mukti Morcha, Nepal Dalit Mukti Sangathan, Dalit Women’s Association (Fedo), Vishwakarma Samaj, Mizar Samaj, Dalit Network Kaski and others issued a joint statement and expressed regret for the caste discrimination incident. They have also appealed to bring the perpetrators to justice and bring justice to the victims. INSEC Gandaki also said that there is solidarity with the demand to take action against those who commit caste discrimination. INSEC Gandaki Provincial Coordinator Shiv Khakurel said that they stand in solidarity with the demands of the victims.