GALKOT, NOVEMBER 17
The Kayat community of Baglung has denied participation in the National Population Census 2021 mentioning that the community is not yet recognized by the government as a separate indigenous nationalities group.
The community has decided not to be included in the population census citing that the State has neglected it without giving them recognition of indigenous nationalities.
They have complained that they have been deprived of all the services and facilities that the State has been providing the indigenous nationalities.
President of Kayat Ekata Samaj (Kayat Unity Society), Neem Bahadur Kayat, shared this complaint and said that the State has not heard their demand for the same so far.
The Kayat community , one of the community among the Nauthar community, is mainly residing in Bobang of Dhorpatan Municipality-7 in Baglung district.
The government has been providing reservation quotas for free education, concession in higher studies and employment to the indigenous nationalities, Dalits and others on the basis of their identity.
However, Kayat shared, they have been facing various problems for involvement in studies, employment and hold that the Kayat community has not been officially recognized as one of the indigenous nationalities groups.
"The State has recognized more than 100 communities as indigenous nationalities but has not recognized us as one owing to our small population size," he said.
The National Population Census 2021 is underway throughout the country since November 11.
Although the issue of the identity of the Kayats was raised in the Federal Parliament three years back, it was not discussed in the parliament.
The Kayat community laments that the State has made them 'identity-less'.
