'Dalit Pratinidhitwo Ra Bisayabastu in RSS' released

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, July 6: Journalist Sushil Darnal's book, 'Dalit Pratinidhitwo Ra Bisayabastu in RSS' (Dalit Representation and Content in RSS) was released on Friday.

Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma released the research-based book penned by RSS journalist Darnal at a programme organised at the ministry.

The book has studied and analysed the presence of Dalits, news related to Dalits and provisions of the RSS Act, by-regulation and editorial policy relating to Dalits. At a time when the Dalit community has been constitutionally ensured rights, its socioeconomic, political and cultural statuses are still backward in Nepal.

As per the book, in Baisakh, Jestha and Asar months of 2075 BS, the percentage of news contents relating to Dalit that RSS used stood at 1.03, 0.79 and 0.73 per cent respectively. However, the most of news stories in the three months were related to positive discrimination and reform initiatives. Follow-up news on it was dismal, the book stated. Similarly, of the total employee quotas at RSS, only 1.86 per cent of Dalit people serve there.

The book has pointed out the need for adopting an inclusive policy that pays heed to the representation and upliftment of Dalits and other backward communities.