Dalits rising to leadership positions in Baitadi

By Gokarna Dayal,Baitadi, May 13: In recent years, youth from the Dalit community in Baitadi district have begun to reach leadership positions across various sectors, signaling a positive shift in representation and inclusion.

The presence of Dalits has been steadily increasing in politics, education, health, employment, and civil service over the years. Among notable figures, Naresh Kumar Bishwakarma of Patan Municipality-5 currently serves as the district chairman of the CPN-UML in Baitadi. He is the only Dalit youth to hold such a key position among the major political parties in the district.

Following the political transition, Puran Singh Dayal was elected to the Constituent Assembly from the CPN-UML. 

In the health sector, Dr. Sushil BK leads as the Medical Superintendent of Baitadi District Hospital. In education, Dinesh Nagari, the former head of the education division of Purchaudi Municipality-7, currently serves as the headmaster of Galinath Secondary School. He is also leading All Nepal Teachers’ Organisation in the district.

In the social sector, Rajuram Bhul played a pivotal role in leading the campaign to declare a Haliya-free nation. In the religious field, Acharya Krishna Damai of Shivnath Municipality is gaining recognition for his spiritual discourses, especially after the Pashupati Koti Hom.

Several Dalit individuals from Baitadi have risen to key positions in the civil service, including Harisharan Wad, Dashrath Od, Dhruv Dayal, and Mahesh Parki, who have headed various government offices in the district.

In security services, Govindram Pariyar of Tripura, Baitadi, retired from the post of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) from the Nepal Police and is now practicing law.

In local government, Saraswati Koli was elected as the Deputy Mayor of Patan Municipality in 2017. However, in the 2022 elections, the Dalit community saw minimal representation in executive positions. Presently, Dalit women are serving as ward members in 84 wards across the district.

In the literary field, Karn Dayal Soradi of Melauali Municipality has published eight literary works. In engineering, Naresh Bhul serves as a sixth-level officer in the Infrastructure Development Office of Baitadi. In the cultural sphere, Mahesh Auj from Pancheshwar and Gopal Dayal from Melauali are gaining popularity in Deuda and folk music throughout the Sudurpashchim region.

Baitadi has a population of 242,444, including around 50,000 Dalits. Despite constitutional provisions and special rights in education, health, and public service, political analyst Dr. Kedar Chandra Bhatt notes that political parties remain hesitant to nominate Dalit candidates for executive posts at the local level.

With 30,000 registered Dalit voters, Dr. Bhatt emphasizes the need to reform the electoral system to ensure proportional representation and to enable Dalit candidates to contest leadership positions reflective of their demographic strength.