Dear Friends,
The Jagaran Media Center (JMC) has informed the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) that Mrs. Sangita Lama Pariyar (21), resident of Ward 4, Padhmapur Village Development Committee (VDC), Chitwan District, Nepal, has been tortured by her own father, mother, sister, and relatives on 26 January 2015. She married a Dalit man, Mr. Manoj Pariyar (23), four years ago, and has a two-year-old daughter. The reason her family has tortured her is because she belongs to the Tamang community and her family is against her inter-caste marriage. This is not the first time her family has attacked the victim, who seeks justice.
CASE NARRATIVE:
Mrs. Sangita Lama Pariyar, the wife of Mr. Manoj Pariyar, has been tortured on 26 January 2015. The Pariyar’s are residents of Ward 4, Padhmapur VDC, Chitwan District, Nepal. On 26 January, at around 5 p.m., Sangita was bringing water from a well near her house. When her mother saw her, she started shouting abuse at her, using caste-based derogatory terms. Sangita’s mother proceeded to throw Sangita’s bucket of water and attacked Sangita. Sangita’s father, sister, and another relative joined in and attacked Sangita, beating her with a wooden sticks and firewood. Due to the severe beating, Sangita fell unconscious. However, the family did not relent. They sprinkled water, woke her up, and started hitting her again until she fell unconscious for a second time. Sangita was beaten for around 30 minutes. She has suffered numerous bruises to her forehead, her body, and her legs, and is unable to walk without support. Her left ankle has been broken due to this prolonger assault by her family.
According to Sangita, her mother, father, and relatives were waiting for her at a spot where she could be found alone, in order to beat her to death. Fortunately, local social worker Ms. Pabitra Tamang arrived on the spot at around 5:30 p.m. and tried to stop the barbaric attack. However, other local Tamangs gathered and threatened Pabitra not to support Sangita.
With the support of Ms. Pabitra Tamang, local social workers took Sangita to Bharatpur Medical Collage by ambulance. Sangita was hospitalized on 26 January 2015 around 9 p.m. Sangita’s family and other locals followed the social workers with khurpas and khukaris (traditional hand-made weapons), threatening Pabitra not to support Sangita.
The victim has reported the incident on 27 January 2015 at the Area Police Office (APO) Padhmapur, Chitwan, providing names of four alleged perpetrators. On the same day, under the command of Constable Ramesh Nepali, the APO arrested three of the alleged perpetrators, i.e. the parents of Sangita, Ms. Dhanamaya Lopchan (49) and Mr. Bal Lama (50), and Sangita’s sister. The fourth accused, Mr. Singjong Tamang (50) appears to have absconded.
Sangita registered a case against her four alleged attackers, as per Caste based Discrimination Offence, at Madi Police Office on 27 January 2015. The Police Office took the accused to the Chitwan District Court in order to extend their custody so that the legal process could be completed.
The victim has been seeking justice for the repeated torture she has been facing. Her father, Bal Lama, has threatened to kill her even if he finds her years later. The Tamang family has been spitting whenever they see Sangita and her 2 years old daughter, and have been uttering caste based derogatory words and other verbal abuse. They have beaten up Sangita in the past as well. The Pariyar’s have been living in fear.
Caste-based discrimination cases tend not to be taken seriously by the police administration in Nepal. Therefore, the AHRC is concerned that without civil society pressure, the victims might not get justice.
The AHRC is worried about the safety and security of the married couple. The AHRC urges the government of Nepal to immediately intervene and investigate this incident. The government should direct the police to provide protection to Sangita, her daughter, and her husband.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In Nepalese society, there is hierarchy not only between Khas, Chhetri, and Dalits but also between Dalits and Janajati groups such as the Tamangs. The communities still do not accept inter-caste marriage. In particular, inter-caste marriages with persons belonging to the Dalit community are not accepted by the Nepalese society, due to the entrenched ideas of the caste system and hence there is rampant discrimination against people of so-called lower castes.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send letters to the authorities listed below, expressing concern about this act of caste-based discrimination, and requesting immediate intervention.
The AHRC has written a separate letter to the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance calling for his intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ………………..,
NEPAL: Family thrashes woman for marrying a Dalit
Name of victims:
1. Ms. Sangita Lama Pariyar, 21
2. Mr. Manoj Pariyar, 23
3. Ms. Pabitra Tamang.
All hail from Ward # 4, Padhmapur VDC, Chitwan District, Nepal
Names of alleged perpetrators:
1. Dhanamaya Lopchan, 49
2. Bal Lama, 50
3. Sharmila Tamang, 25
4. Singjong Tamang, 50
All from Ward # 4, Padhmapur VDC, Chitwan District, Nepal
Date of incident: 26 January 2015 to present
Place of incident: Ward 4, Padhmapur VDC, Chitwan District, Nepal
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding Mrs. Sangita Lama Pariyar (21), resident of Ward 4, Padhmapur Village Development Committee (VDC), Chitwan District, Nepal, who has been tortured by her own father, mother, sister, and relatives on 26 January 2015. She married a Dalit man, Mr. Manoj Pariyar (23), four years ago, and has a two-year-old daughter.
I have received information that Sangita was bringing water from a well near her house at around 5 p.m. When her mother saw her, she started shouting abuse at her, using caste-based derogatory terms. Sangita’s mother proceeded to throw Sangita’s bucket of water and attacked Sangita. Sangita’s father, sister, and another relative joined in and attacked Sangita, beating her with a wooden sticks and firewood. Due to the severe beating, Sangita fell unconscious. However, the family did not relent. They sprinkled water, woke her up, and started hitting her again until she fell unconscious for a second time. Sangita was beaten for around 30 minutes. She has suffered numerous bruises to her forehead, her body, and her legs, and is unable to walk without support. Her left ankle has been broken due to this prolonger assault by her family.
According to Sangita, her mother, father, and relatives were waiting for her at a spot where she could be found alone, in order to beat her to death. Fortunately, local social worker Ms. Pabitra Tamang arrived on the spot at around 5:30 p.m. and tried to stop the barbaric attack. However, other local Tamangs gathered and threatened Pabitra not to support Sangita.
I came to know that with the support of Ms. Pabitra Tamang, local social workers took Sangita to Bharatpur Medical Collage by ambulance. Sangita was hospitalized on 26 January 2015 around 9 p.m. Sangita’s family and other locals followed the social workers with khurpas and khukaris (traditional hand-made weapons), threatening Pabitra not to support Sangita.
The victim has reported the incident on 27 January 2015 at the Area Police Office (APO) Padhmapur, Chitwan, providing names of four alleged perpetrators. On the same day, under the command of Constable Ramesh Nepali, the APO arrested three of the alleged perpetrators, i.e. the parents of Sangita, Ms. Dhanamaya Lopchan (49) and Mr. Bal Lama (50), and Sangita’s sister. The fourth accused, Mr. Singjong Tamang (50) appears to have absconded.
Sangita registered a case against her four alleged attackers, as per Caste based Discrimination Offence, at Madi Police Office on 27 January 2015. The Police Office took the accused to the Chitwan District Court in order to extend their custody so that the legal process could be completed.
The victim has been seeking justice for the repeated torture she has been facing. Her father, Bal Lama, has threatened to kill her even if he finds her years later. The Tamang family has been spitting whenever they see Sangita and her 2 years old daughter, and have been uttering caste based derogatory words and other verbal abuse. They have beaten up Sangita in the past as well. The Pariyar’s have been living in fear.
Caste-based discrimination cases tend not to be taken seriously by the police administration in Nepal. Therefore, I am worried about the safety and security of the married couple. I urge the government of Nepal to immediately intervene and investigate this incident. The government should direct the police to provide protection to Sangita, her daughter, and her husband.
I look forward to your immediate attention in this matter.
Yours Sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Sushil Koirala
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers of Nepal
Singh Darbar, Kathmandu
P.O. Box: 23312
NEPAL
Tel: +977 1 4211000
Fax: +977 1 4211086
Email: info@opmcm.gov.np
2. Mr. Bamdev Gautam
Home Minister of Nepal
Ministry of Home Affairs
Singh Darbar, Kathmandu
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 421-1257, 421-1286
Email: gunaso@moha.gov.np
3. Mr. Anupraj Sharma
Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission
Pulchowk, Lalitpur
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 55 47973
Tel: +977 1 5010015
E-mail: complaints@nhrcnepal.org or nhrc@nhrcnepal.org
4. Mr. Baburam Kunwar
Office of Attorney General
Ramshah Path, Kathmandu
NEPAL
Tel: +977 1 4240210, +977 1 4262548, +977 1 4262394
Fax: +977 1 4262582 / 4218051
Email: info@attorneygeneral.gov.np
5. Mr. Upendra Kant Aryal
Inspector General of Police
Police Head Quarters
Naxal, Kathmandu
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 4415593
Tel: +977 1 4412432
Email: phqigs@nepalpolice.gov.np
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
