Kathmandu, June 2:

Demanding proportional representation of the Dalit community in the constituent assembly elections, the Dalit NGO Federation will organise rallies across the nation tomorrow.

The DNF has appealed to the Dalits to halt their work on Monday. The DNF has asked the Dalits to carry their tools along and stage rallies.

Traditionally, the Dalits make agricultural tools and also work as tailors and cobblers. The DNF has submitted copies of its 14-point demand to the Prime Minister and political parties.

Among other things, the DNF has been demanding a 20 per cent representation of the Dalits in all organs of the state, granting of full authority to the National Dalit Commission and declaration of the decade (2007-2017) as the ‘Dalit Rights and Development’ decade with a plan of action.

The DNF has also been calling for the formation of a ‘Special Land Commission’ for the distribution of land to the landless Dalits and the establishment of special courts to look into cases of caste-based discrimination.

According to the DNF, “Legal provision should be made to make sure that Dalits cover 20 per cent of all departments of political parties.” “A census should be conducted to find out the status of the Dalit community.”

“The DNF will launch decisive protest programmes if the government remains indifferent towards our demands even after the first phase of the struggle,” Bom Bahadur Biswokarma, the DNF general secretary, warned.