Musahar community hands over memo to Minister Lekhak

Siraha, Aug 23: The marginalized Musahar community has submitted a five-point memo to Minister for Home Affairs Ramesh Lekhak today, seeking solutions to their citizenship identity card related issues.     

The leaders of Sawari Sankhalpa Samaj, a local NGO, submitted the memo to Minister Lekhak amid a programme at Lahan Municipality's office in Siraha district.     

The memo presses for recognizing the Musahar community as indigenous community, issuing citizenship identity card to them based on descent, arranging arable land and shelter for landless people from their community and other related demands.     

Upon receiving the memo, Minister Lekhak pledged to seriously study the concerns of Musahar community and take actions to resolve them. "My serious attention has been drawn towards your problems. They are not only your problem but also the State's. Hence, necessary measures would be taken to address them."     

Human rights activist Arun Sadaya, handing over the memo, highlighted that the backwardness of this community was largely due to discriminatory policy of the State and unjust socio-economic structure.     

The Musahar community is one of the most marginalized groups within the Dalit community in the country, he mentioned, adding that prosperous nation could not be imagined without addressing socio-economic, political and educational needs this community.     

The Musahar population in Madhesh Province currently stands at 247,555, with many lacking citizenship identity card of Nepal owing to various reasons.(RSS)