MIN BAJRACHARYA

Chunikhel VDC in Bungmati on the outskirts of Kathmandu is dominated by so-called 'upper caste' families. Recently, three 'lower caste' families were barred from collecting water from the common tap. Each time they went for water, they had to wait for a member of the 'upper caste' to help them fill their vessels. Housewife Nanimaiya Nepali had taken this discrimination for years. But one morning she was late to go to the well because guests had dropped in and she had to send her children to school.

Nanimaiya waited by the well for someone to get her water but after 10 minutes there was still no sign of anyone. It was getting late so she decided to get the water herself. She was spotted and soon other villagers gathered and verbally abused Nanimaiya. They even threatened to throw out her family from the village. Nanimaiya felt the insults were intolerable and knocked on the door of an NGO working for Dalit rights. After they probed the matter, she tried to lodge a complaint at a nearby police post against the 32 villagers who had abused her. The office refused to register the complaint so she went to the Lalitpur District Police Office. Police there also refused despite the fact that the practice of untouchability was declared to be illegal two years ago.

The human rights cell of the police said it was willing to take up the case but that taking action against 32 people would be difficult. When her neighbours found out Nanimaiya had tried to lodge a complaint they started becoming even more abusive. As the situation worsened, a team of human rights activists and journalists reached Chunikhel on 4 March. More than 500 villagers had gathered when a camera crew began to film the well where Nanimaiya's ordeal began. Some thugs attacked the journalists and manhandled Nanimaiya and her relative Shova Nepali. Journalists Narendra Biswakarma and Dinesh Pariyar were seriously injured and Nanimaiya lost her gold jewellery during the incident. But just when Nanimaiya's and the two other families were losing hope, former VDC chairman Prem Maharjan offered to mediate. After four days of intensive discussions, the villagers agreed to pay half of the Rs 60,000 in damages caused during the scuffle. They also agreed that the so-called 'lower caste' families would be allowed to collect water from the well and that the practice of untouchability would henceforth be banned.

(This week the world marked World Water Day on 22 March and the International Day Against Racial Discrimination on 21 March.)