Rajbiraj, November 3

It is almost unimaginable for anyone from the Dom Community, which is victimised by extreme poverty and discrimination, to pursue MBBS.

However, a youth from the Dom community of Rampura at Chhinamasta Rural Municipality-9, Saptari, has turned his dream into reality.

Dinesh Kumar Marik, 19, has got the opportunity to study MBBS. He is first person to study MBBS from the whole Dom community. This has elated the entire Dom community.

Son of Dalit campaigner Yuktila Marik and Furaki Devi, Dinesh had passed Grade X from a local secondary school and cleared Grade XII from Rajbiraj-based Happyland Higher Secondary School.

Dinesh had secured scholarship to study MBBS and is preparing to join Birgunj-based National Medical College, according to his father Yuktilal.

University Grant Commission will provide Dinesh with scholarship fund for MBBS.

“I did everything I could to finance his education. Today, his efforts have paid off. My son always wanted to become great person when he grew up,” Yuktilal shared.

Dinesh credited his parents’ blessing and his hard work for the achievement. Maithali Cultural Council Saptari founder chair ShyamSundarYadav said the achievement of Dinesh was an inspiration for other students from the Dom community.

Yuktilal, who is also the central chair of Dom Promotion Society, said the country was home to 13,832 people from the Dom community. Around 3,000 people from the Dom community live in Saptari district alone.

Seventeen students from the Dom community have passed Grade X and 10 have cleared Plus Two. Only three students from the community have completed Bachelor’s level across the country.