Since the National Planning Commission (NPC) has two vacant positions for its members, the Dalit community and those fighting for their cause demand the inclusion of a capable member of their community in NPC to represent them.

A Dalit scholar representing the entire community with high academic background should be appointed as an NPC member, said Man Bahadur Bishwakarma, former Member of Parliament (MP) at a programme organised by Academy for Laws and Human Resources Development Study – Nepal (ALHURDS).

“The Eight Plan had only few programmes for the deprived sector. Although the Ninth plan encompassed concrete plans for the Dalits, the programmes remained unimplemented,” added Bishwakarma.

The Dalit community and organisations should pressurise the government to appoint an NPC member from the Dalit population, who could work towards implementing strategies on their community at the national policy level, said Ratna Bahadur Bagchand, president of ALHURDS.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in his socio-economic transformation announcement in August, 2001, had stated that the Dalit community were being deprived in socio-economic and political spheres for centuries, as a result they could not make their ends meet despite working hard.

In the declaration, it was also stated that the Dalits would be included in the national policy making levels.

Following the announcement, The National Dalit Commission (NDC) was established. Apart from that the government has failed to chalk out appropriate plans for the deprived community, added Bagchand.